Storm
by loveschocolatefrogs
Summary: After witnessing a failed attempt at Tsunade's life, Sakura is forced to flee Konoha. Three years later, the Fourth Shinobi War is in full swing. While on the run, she's unexpectedly thrown together with one of the only people who can end Madara. SasuSaku
1. Prologue

**A/N:** So, due to all of the amazing Naruto fanfics that I've seen on here, I decided to try my hand at it. So welcome to my first Naruto fic ever. Hell yes I am nervous.

On a different note, this story strays from the manga around Chapter 450 before going into a timeskip as you'll see here soon. Also, I've tinkered with the geography of the manga a little bit. Originally, Konoha is more or less in the very center of Fire Country, here it'll be just a little closer to the sea that's due east from them. I don't think it's going to affect the story much, but I just wanted to let you guys know if there happen to be any die-hard (including me) fans reading this. I'll try to stick as close to canon as possible, but we all know that life tends to throw us some unexpected twists and turns along the way :D

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it and let me know your thoughts!

xx LCF

**Disclaimer:** Naruto does not belong to me, if it did then Sasuke would've realized how stupid he's being and Sakura wouldn't have cried so much and would have returned to the image of bad-assery she was in the beginning of Shippuden. But I don't, so it sucks, but I still thank Kishi, 'cause if it weren't for him we wouldn't even be here in the first place.

_Edit 7/23/11_

_Hey guys, just doing some maintenance here. Nothing too major, just correcting some grammar and adding/erasing parts that I felt were needed to make the chapter flow more smoothly. Let me know your thoughts!_

* * *

**_Storm_**

Prologue

* * *

It was in the early hours of the morning when Sakura made her way to Tsunade's tent.

Most of the villagers and shinobi were in bed by then, everyone exhausted from the slow restoration of the village. Pain's attack had been devastating and completely demolished everything, and Sakura knew that if Tsunade-sama didn't wake soon that there were a few nations who were willing to strike during their moment of weakness. However, as imminent as that threat may be, Sakura's priority was to help Shizune with Tsunade-sama while she recuperated.

It was all she could do to make sure that her Shishou was stabilized and all of her vitals were checked out every few hours. A switch of an IV here, a little probing with chakra there, and she would open her medical texts and sit nearby the futon, reading up on the neurotic system to make sure that nothing was wrong with Tsunade's. It was all anyone was able to do, really. The moment Shizune and she had gotten a chance they had immediately worked on their Hokage and mentor, healing everything that needed to be and injecting several boosters to help with the severe chakra depletion she was suffering from. Despite this, however, Tsunade-sama remained in her comatose state and Shizune stated that she needed to rest. This didn't surprise Sakura in the slightest; after all it was completely natural seeing as Tsunade-sama had handed over almost all of her chakra to Katsuuyu in order to heal all of the villagers.

With the state that the village had been reduced to, and with Tsunade-sama out of the picture for the time being, the moment Naruto had defeated Pain there had been an emergency council meeting; a vote, to see who would take temporary title of Hokage until—if—Tsunade woke up. To Sakura and Naruto's dismay, Danzou had been elected, and by the Daimyo no less. Sakura couldn't help but think there was seriously something wrong if anyone thought that that man was fit enough to be village leader. Hell, even _Kakashi_ had been better suited for office.

Sakura was lost in her thoughts as she approached the tent, when she suddenly paused in her tracks warily. The forest was eerily quiet, not a single sound filling the air; all was still. There were none of the few signs of ANBU, not even the tiniest flex of their chakra. It made Sakura knit her brows in worry that no one was guarding her mentor, considering how threatened _she_ felt at that moment. Surely the highest skilled shinobi in their village would be able to feel it too? So where were the ANBU? There had been at least half-a-dozen stationed within the past hour; that much she could confirm. But try as she might, Sakura was unable to find their chakra signatures.

She frowned darkly as she drew a kunai for each hand. Something was not right, but before Sakura could deduce any form of theory, a flare of chakra within Tsunade's tent caught her attention. Sprinting, Sakura wrenched open the flap not to find Tsunade coming to, but instead to see a cloaked figure with a porcelain mask hovering above her prone form.

The Root member's kunai was elevated and ready to strike the unconscious woman beneath him. Red invaded Sakura's vision and before she could stop herself, she had already rushed forward with a surge of her own chakra and successfully connected the heel of her foot to the side of the Root's skull.

A sickening crack filled the air as she crushed his skull and he was instantly dead. As he fell five more were immediately upon her, weapons at the ready. They attacked without warning but Sakura was quick on her feet, dodging and returning blows with each of them, her brain trying to keep track of all of them at once while simultaneously keeping an eye on the defenseless woman on the cot. As another approached Tsunade, Sakura rushed him, fist raised and she connected with open air. Swinging her foot out, she pivoted sharply in a semi-circle and didn't waste a second in unleashing her weapons.

A wave of senbon cascaded toward her from her right, aimed right at Tsunade, and she dove into the line of fire, feeling tiny bursts of pain as they embedded themselves into her skin. Sakura leapt, yanking the senbon out of her in the process, and aimed a kick right at the center of their group. The Root members vanished in a blur, and without a moment's hesitation she sprinted from the tent and weaved a complex genjutsu around it for protection. She threw a kunai with an explosive tag attached at a tree several meters from the campsite that would detonate in one minute, alerting anyone within thirty yards of Tsunade-sama of danger. With that reassuring thought in mind, Sakura made east, hoping to draw out her pursuers.

The Root members shadowed her movements, tracking her east as wave after wave of weapons came at her. Sakura leapt from branch to branch at random, hoping to shake them off and guiding them as far from her Shishou as she could and closer to where she knew her fellow shinobi would be. As she neared the open field however, something blunt and with incredible force sent her falling. Grabbing hold of a small tree, she pivoted in midair and uprooted it before launching it at them. The masked nin scattered but before she could take a breath one was upon her. Pushing off against a tree, she flew straight towards her assailant and landed a chakra-charged punch on his chest.

Panting heavily as she took cover, a blast rang clear through the air and Sakura could feel the beginnings of fatigue in her system and silently prayed that she had packed her chakra-boosting injections. But as tired as she was, there was no helping the raging fire that had taken place in her heart at that moment.

These men, _Danzou's_ men, had attempted at Tsunade-sama's life. White-hot rage filled her as she clenched her jaw severely, whipping out a syringe filled with a translucent blue liquid. Hopefully this would push back the effects of the poison that had covered the senbon and give her more time. But even as the numbing sensation filled her body, nothing was putting out the flames of her ire. As a young woman she had found it difficult to actually kill, but now, nearly a year after that fight—the one with Chiyo-obaa-sama against Sasori of the Red Sand, the one that had showed her what a true fight was, that she either needed to kill or be killed—she had grown not only as a medic, but as an exceptional kunoichi of Konoha. The very same village that Sasuke had defected from, the same one that Naruto protected from Pain, the same one that Danzou was now pulling further down with his actions as Hokage. That had been the last straw and in a fit of rage, Inner Sakura exploded forth.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she barked, the cold sound of her voice unfamiliar to even her own ears. "I thought we were supposed to be on the same side!"

None of the Root members responded, her words wasted on deaf ears. After a moment the one leading the squadron spoke up in the quiet air, the red symbols upon his white mask looked disturbingly similar to smeared blood; "You have seen too much, it is for the sake of Danzou-sama and Konoha that we must eliminate you."

"By assassinating the Hokage?" she yelled, hoping that some of the jonin on patrol would hear her. She could already feel the stirring of chakra from afar and knew that the explosive tag had worked. All she needed was to draw more forces out and guide this platoon as close to the jonin camp as she could.

"Danzou-sama is Hokage, and all decisions he makes are all for the sake of this village. He is like you, he wants to restore Konoha to its former glory and bring forth a new era."

"Danzou is a war mongrel, he doesn't care about Konoha. All he wants to do is create more chaos than there already is. Do you think that by killing Tsunade-sama it will bring forth some stability to this village? If anything it'll go into an uproar! Civil war will break out and it will become a bloodbath." Sakura hissed.

"Our duty is to Danzou-sama. All that he wishes to be done, shall. Because of this Haruno Sakura, you are deemed a threat to our mission and must be taken into custody. Danzou-sama will find you a suitable punishment to bear."

Before the Root member could finish his sentence however, Sakura had thrown a handful of explosive tags at them along with sending the tree that she had been on airborne and crashing. _There. If that doesn't catch anyone's attention I don't know what will_. Just as Sakura turned on her heel and leapt up a tree, she felt several more chakra signatures coming to the sight swiftly and from where she stood she saw that all were Root members. _**Maybe that wasn't such a hot idea**_.

She was soon bombarded by attacks and it was all she could do to keep from getting caught. Sakura pressed herself further and continued running east, hoping to lose them. As her moves grew more sluggish and her thoughts no longer flowed in a single stream as normal, she took out the chakra-boosting injection and slammed it down onto her thigh without second though. The chakra filled her immediately, surging through her like a wildfire. The Root members were persistent and were gaining quickly, but with her new boost, Sakura was faster and with surprising swiftness found herself facing the sea from the top of a white and jagged cliff.

The Root agents circled her, like a predator that had cornered its prey, but she would be damned if she allowed herself to be caught and dragged into whatever hell Danzou was preparing for her. Sakura was trapped, and she knew it. The last of her explosive tags had been used to inform her fellow shinobi of the attack. She couldn't run and her teammates had no idea where she was, so there was no possibility for back-up. To make matters worse, she could feel the short-term effects of the booster beginning to wear off, leaving her panting and drained of energy.

Deciding on the lesser of two evils, Sakura (with the help of her screeching Inner) flung herself off the edge and into the raging sea. Searing pain enveloped her as their projectiles embedded themselves onto her back.

The last thing she though before she hit the water was how she hoped it didn't hurt nearly as much as it looked. The icy water greeted her, the air rushed from her lungs and the all-encompassing darkness pulled her under.

She wasn't seen again for another three years.


	2. Forces of Destiny

**A/N:** Wow, sorry for taking so long to update! November was a pretty hectic month for me what with all these personal issues that sprouted and the fact that I was doing NaNoWriMo. Now that it's over I'm glad to say that I should be updating a bit more frequently, though I don't have a set schedule. I'll be upfront about one thing however, I've got tons of things to do, and as much as I wish it was, writing fics is _not_ a priority for me. I have a life, guys. I write when I want to and post when I feel that the chapter is exactly how I want it to be. I'm not going to rush writing and give you guys a chapter that's below average.

ANYWAY, now that I'm done with that bit. I want to thank everyone who reviewed and added story alerts/favorited. It's real big motivation and I can't help but get all giddy when I read that someone likes what I've got. It's my first Naruto fic, so I want to make sure I keep as close to canon as I can. But again, many thanks to those of you who've left me such kind words. It means a lot. :)

xx LCF

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto; but if I did, there would be A LOT more justice to be done to the females. Hopefully I can correct the situation with _Storm_ :D

* * *

_**Storm**_

Chapter 1: Forces of Destiny

* * *

Night had fallen and the sky was illuminated by the thunderstorms that Lightning was famous for. Winds howled as hot air rose from the many hot springs that littered the country and clashed with the cold wind that blew in from the mountains. The sensation sent bouts of rolling thunder to follow after brilliant flashes of lightning. Being the big nature admirer that she was, Sakura naturally sat relaxed on the bough of a tree, green eyes watching the sky aptly.

It was during times like this where Sakura could have a little reprieve from the onslaught that was life as a missing-nin.

The vast mountain ranges in Lightning Country were truly as grand as they had been described to be in the many textbooks Sakura had read throughout her time in the Academy.

They towered high into the skies, their peaks disappearing into a sea of clouds and the rivers flowed through the country, all leading to the eastern sea that was unlike any other that Sakura had seen. Though technically it was the same as the one back in Land of Fire, it was the remote area of the country and the jagged coastline of the peninsula that gave it it's impressive beauty. Where Fire Country's coast was full of lush vegetation and soft white sand, in Lightning the waters raged and brimmed with life, and beaches of black sand and rocky expanse stretched for miles. If Sakura had attempted to jump off a cliff like these and into this sea like she had all those years ago, she would have been dead.

Three years had passed since Sakura had fled Konoha—or what remained of it at least. She had no idea what was now going on behind those gates, if they had even _rebuilt_ those gates, and knowing so left an ache in her chest. She thought of everyone on a daily basis; her friends, her family, her comrades. Did Naruto get taller? Had he given a reply to Hinata's confession? Did Kakashi-sensei still read Icha Icha and show up notoriously late? Or had Danzou's regime whipped him out of it? Was Sai now working more closely with Root? Did Yamato-taichou help restore most of Konoha?

Though that was barely scratching the surface; there were plenty more questions brewing in her mind, quite a few revolving around her mentor and the rightful Hokage. Had Tsuande-sama been able to get some protection? And then a more morbid one came to mind. Had Danzou succeeded in taking her life? Sakura shook her head fiercely. No, even if he sent out battalions at a time to get rid of her, Sakura _knew_ that any shinobi loyal to Konoha and what it stood for would not stand for it. She was alive, Sakura was sure of it.

A clap of thunder immediately pulled Sakura out of her thoughts. Rain was falling in steady streams now and Sakura silently cursed her luck before pulling her charcoal-gray traveling cloak around her tightly and made sure that the transformation jutsu she had performed several hours ago was keeping up. Sakura had taken to altering her appearance every single day, making sure to change most things about herself that would be a dead-giveaway. Naturally, it meant that her hair and eye-color were the first things to go. Today she had opted to keep her hair far shorter than how it normally was in its original state, having it rest just below her ears in wavy disarray. Her almond shaped eyes were the same familiar gray shade as Kakashi's and her complexion was far paler. There were also subtle changes to her facial structure. She had narrowed her face and had made her lips a tad bit thinner along with matching her body close to what it had been when she was fifteen. It wasn't much work, but it would have to do for the time being.

Sakura jumped down from her perch on the tree and began to make her way southwest. She was a four day's run away from Kumo and she wanted to get out of Lightning Country and into the neutral territories that sat nestled between Sound, Fire, and Lightning by the end of the week. Making sure that her pack sat securely on her back she streaked down through the forest, intent on traveling through the night rain in hopes of getting to her destination sooner. Little did she know that her choice could have easily gotten her killed.

* * *

It was the large flux of chakra that had made her slow her step. Sakura had been tree-hopping for hours now. The rain had stopped long ago, allowing the morning sun to peek through desolate clouds and stain the sky a bloody red. It was eerie, and Sakura ignored the unease that had inexplicably crawled into her stomach. She pressed forward, her step slow and her senses on high alert as she proceeded with caution and masked her chakra carefully. She hadn't travelled a kilometer when she heard it; the sounds of battle and the familiar rings of metal clashing on metal.

Silently, she moved closer, her guard never dropping as she silently crept towards several branches that were clustered together thickly and peered down at the scene below her.

Between all of the debris and the clouds of smoke that hung thickly in the air below, Sakura could just barely make out the vague silhouettes of the shinobi in combat. Metal against metal rang in the air as well as obscenities yelled from one side to another. The sudden charges of chakra exuded in the jutsu forced the tiny hairs on her arms and neck to stand on end. After the span of a few minutes, the smoke began to dissipate and the only figures that were left were the ones that had been hardest to keep up with. Subconsciously, Sakura edged closer to get a better look.

The sight that greeted her made her eyes widen exponentially and sent her heart to beat at double time.

It was obvious that the two figures were male; one stood tall, his chest broad and orange-red hair set in spikes all over the place, and a shorter male (whose choppy white strands sat on his shoulders much like how her own used to before she had grown it out) stood beside him, a hefty blade in his hand and another strapped onto his back. Normally running into (or rather, nearly) two missing-nin wasn't what had forced adrenaline to pump into her veins.

It was the red clouds stitched onto black cloaks that did.

Reflexively, she drew a kunai and slowly crept backwards into the protection of the tree. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest as she silently pushed off the limb and began to make her way as far south as she could, trying to put as much distance between them as quickly as possible.

Suddenly, a bloody figure toppled onto the branch she was about to land on. The ANBU's mask (Kumo by the looks of it) was cracked and his uniform was in tatters. He lay immobile on the branch save for the harsh breaths he drew that sounded wet. Sakura immediately knew that blood must have been flooding his lungs at the moment. Double checking that her henge was still in place and that no one had caught on to her signature, Sakura leapt to the next branch cautiously, a hand hovering over her kunai holster as she peered down at the masked nin. The ANBU let out a wet cough that sent his body into convulsions and Sakura's medical instincts kicked in.

She quickly wrenched off his mask to open his airways and pressed a glowing green hand to his chest to asses his damage. He flinched at the sudden intrusion of chakra, but it seemed to rouse him some as he cracked his eyes open for a spare second. The ANBU opened his mouth to say something before she felt his heart begin thrumming erratically and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. It was over in the next second. His heart had stopped abruptly, out of nowhere, and he was dead. After a careful moment, Sakura pulled his lids shut before she stood to take her leave when the faint sound of metal whizzing through the air caught her ears and she instinctively dove, several kunai embedded in the part of the trunk she had stood by.

Sakura leapt back as she pulled out the kunai, transformed brown eyes looked to her assailant and froze when she saw a complete squadron of Kumo ANBU several meters from her.

"It seems that you've been the one causing problems for us in the area for weeks now, kunoichi. And here we thought that Akatsuki was at fault." The captain spoke.

"I've done nothing. I'm merely passing through." She said as she stood her ground and raised her chin defiantly. Honestly, what was the deal with wanting her eliminated nowadays, she thought cynically.

"It's difficult to believe such a statement when you've got blood of our own all over you."

Sakura's eyes flicked down for half a second and saw the red stains that were smeared on her torso and on the sleeves of her cloak. She cursed herself for even bothering with the dying ANBU and damned her compassionate nature.

_**Way to go stupid, now you'll get us killed!**_ Her Inner screeched.

_Definitely not helping right now_. She hissed back.

Without a second's hesitation, Sakura braced herself for an attack. The squadron disappeared in an instant, and in the next moment Sakura was deflecting waves upon waves of senbon and kunai. She rushed forward at one ANBU, her fist raised and chakra surging through her arm. The moment her fist connected with his mask he was sent careening off the tree and smashed through a boulder in the rocky terrain.

She was fluid in her movements, dodging airborne weapons and twisting in the air in order to strike down her next attacker. But as good as she was—these were ten hunter-nin; the most ruthless of ANBU, and the fact that they came from Kumo didn't make the situation better. Sakura deftly avoided a punch before she wrapped her hand around an arm, flinging the masked nin over her shoulder and sent him crashing into another one. Four down, six to go. Her dark eyes flitted from side to side, keeping her gaze on them for a fraction of a second before moving to another, taking in their movements both as individuals and as a whole. Right now they were trying to corral her in order to stage an ambush.

They were upon her in an instant.

Sakura blocked a kick with her forearm while simultaneously landing a back kick to an approaching ANBU's chest. She landed in a crouch, barely missing the airborne kunai that had targeted the back of her head. Another ANBU was immediately upon her, aiming a kick to her ribcage that clipped her and sent her off-kilter. A searing pain erupted on her side then and almost instantly the world began to spin.

She stumbled back a few steps, making sure to keep the remaining three in her line of sight before she withdrew her hand that she had pressed onto her side. It came away bloody.

Taking in a ragged breath, the world spun on it's axis before her and Sakura immediately recognized the symptoms for poisoning. She sent a wave of her chakra to her kidneys in hopes of processing the toxin out of her body faster, but that put her at a disadvantage. She was still outnumbered five to one and in her current state there was no way she'd be able to get away fast enough much less have any sort of chance at beating them. The only solution was for her to take them out in one hit, which was really all she ever needed, but the prospect of her blowing her cover weighed heavily on her mind. She had taken many precautions to ensure that she kept her name out of the air, to make sure that Haruno Sakura never made front-page news or was spotted. Any ANBU that stumbled upon her were found dead, but as the Fourth Great Shinobi War raged on, the searches grew fewer and farther in between.

The remaining ANBU rushed forward so fast they were blurry and in one jerky motion, two had pinned her facedown on the ground while the other stood near her face, looking down at her with his white mask as armored arms were crossed over his chest.

"Now, kunoichi, you won't be a nuisance any longer." He spoke, withdrawing a kunai from his pouch and poising it over her head.

_This can't be it._ She thought to herself groggily, as she tried to pick herself up, but instead of standing she was met with blinding pain that erupted on her arms. Gritting her teeth, she could literally feel the fissures that now ran up her femurs with her chakra.

_**Don't you dare scream.**_ Her Inner hissed angrily. Clearly she wasn't as thrilled as Sakura was with meeting her end in the middle of a forest at the hands of faceless strangers.

Dark eyes narrowed in determination as she channeled her chakra to her limbs, and in one swift motion she effectively threw off her assailants. Her arms burned with pain and she took care to quickly heal the fissures with the small breathing space she had managed to acquire for herself. She was halfway finished when three appeared out of the corner of her eye. Sakura turned to face them head-on but was caught unawares as one hand erupted from the ground and pulled her down. She shot out her arms, and as she ignored the crippling pain in them, she managed to keep herself from being pulled under.

Despite that though, the poison was beginning to take full effect on her body as her thoughts became foggy and her movements sluggish.

A black and red blur was all she saw before she grew unconscious.

* * *

The last of the ANBU fell to the ground with a loud thud as Suigetsu and Juugo relaxed their stances. Suigetsu was a bit miffed, his violet eyes bore holes to the back of Juugo's head as he quietly made his way over to the unconscious kunoichi on the ground. It had been Suigetsu that took notice of the chakra that had slowly emitted several kilometers of where their own fight had just ended, and it was at his insistence that they went to go see who it was and dictate whether it was a fight worth getting involved with or not. Juugo only responded with a nod and they masked their chakra as they made their way over to the latest brawl.

These parts of Lightning Country were rather rough, bandits, nukenin, and mobs lurked everywhere. In fact it had been one of those pathetic mobs that they had currently taken down just ten minutes ago. It was really pathetic when they tried to pick a fight with people who were obviously ninja, even more so when they made it painfully obvious to a trained ninja that they were nothing but mediocre at best. Suigetsu was always one to boast, he felt justified in doing so seeing as he had trained his ass off in order to be where he was now, in order to be one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. Even if he wasn't exactly recognized as such. But those were just technicalities. And something he easily overlooked.

He walked over to the giant, who was currently knelt over the tiny girl. He was silently unfastening his cloak and setting it over her as a sort of make-shift blanket. A tent would have been a more appropriate way to describe how it dwarfed her tiny form. She was nothing special, probably fourteen or fifteen. Hair cropped ridiculously short, face narrow but unmistakable in its femininity, short, and extremely lacking any form of having hit puberty. Yep, she was practically a kid. Suigetsu released a sigh as he plopped down next to Juugo, his eyes watching the man's large hands as they gently turned the girl over and looked down at the damage.

The gash was ragged and deep, blood poured steadily from it and coated Juugo's hands in her warm life force. The former Mist-nin felt a tiny bit of sympathy for the kid. He'd been beaten up pretty roughly too and had been in enough fights to know that taking a kunai was no easy feat. Seriously, she had to have a surreal tolerance for pain because she didn't even scream. After a few more seconds, Juugo rewrapped his cloak over her and picked her up. "We need to take her somewhere safe and watch over her for a few days."

Suigetsu blanched. "Are you kidding me? Why can't we just dump her off at the nearest village, I'm sure there'll be _someone_ who's willing to patch up an injured kid."

"The nearest village is a two-day run from here. It would be best if we found some shelter and grouped back with the others until she awakens."

The former Mist-nin rolled his violet eyes at the large shinobi. Honestly, after being with Taka for the past three years he'd started going soft. The thought made him sneer slightly but said nothing as he merely strapped his blade on his back with its companion. Juugo carefully picked up the unconscious kunoichi and in an instant they took to the trees and circled the area in hopes of finding some kind of cave. As they leapt, Suigetsu looked to the small girl in Juugo's arms and frowned thoughtfully to himself. Yep, he was _definitely_ growing soft.


	3. Fallen

**A/N:** Hey everyone! Hope you guys had great holidays and a fantastic New Year. I know I did. I've had plenty of time to plot out what I want to happen for this fic and have outlined most of it; so we can successfully deem this break well-spent. :) Aside from plotting out, I haven't had much time to work on the story due to the minimal amounts of free time that I get. So I (once again) apologize if updates take a while. I'm trying to shoot for at least two updates a month, so let's keep our fingers crossed. Yes?

Again, thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter. I was simply blown away by the response considering that I thought the feedback for my first chapter was good. So thanks, and if I haven't replied personally to a review just know that I appreciate all of the thoughts you guys send in.

xx LCF

**Disclaimer: **Naruto, as you know, belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own the plot and the actions I force the characters to do. XD

* * *

**_Storm_**

Chapter 2: Fallen

* * *

The nothingness that engulfed Sakura was broken by the sound of rushing water, punctuated by two bickering voices that were steadily gaining volume. The blackness yielded to the hazy images of a steady fire and distorted shadows that danced on stone walls. Just as Sakura had begun to regain her senses, the world began to spin and she kept her eyes shut tightly to keep from becoming nauseous. In this state, her hearing pickes up despite the heavy pounding in her skull and she catches bits and pieces of a conversation taking place a mere six meters from where she lies on the ground.

"You imbeciles, look at what you've done this time! I can't believe the two of you would bring her here!" began one voice furiously. Despite the rough quality of the voice it was unmistakably female.

Another voice broke in, this one much deeper and obviously annoyed. "Don't drag me into this! This was all Juugo's idea. I told him to just leave her so that we can go, but no, he just _had_ to bring her and make sure she'd live through the day."

"If you were so concerned about her life then why didn't you just dump her at a nearby town or rest stop?" the girl snapped.

"That's what _I_ told him, he's the one who insisted on bringing her." The other retorted.

From the spot where she lay, Sakura was able to peek through her lashes and see the argument going on and watched wearily as the white-haired Akatsuki from before, speak with a red-haired kunoichi (also Akatsuki by the looks of her cloak) who shoved her glasses up her nose rather roughly. Her hair was cut in an asymmetrical style and she stood with her hand on her cocked hip petulantly as she peered down her nose at the missing-nin that sat two feet away from her. There was a beat of silence that was followed by an irritated huff.

"You're lucky that he's not here right now, if he knew that you two brought back some injured kid, he'd have killed you both. Not that you idiots don't deserve it."

The male merely smirked toothily at her words and offered no protest. Instead, he opted to ignore this little comment altogether and pressed on in a new direction. "Where'd he go off to, anyway?"

"He said that there was business he needed to do. He should be back either tonight or tomorrow night at the latest; but we'll keep moving or scouting if he doesn't reach us within that window of time. He'll find us when he's finished whatever it is he's planning and if bad comes to worse I can always locate him." She replied.

The male snorted at her statement. "Who made_ you_ boss?"

The kunoichi visibly bristled at the comment before she bit back, "_He_ did, so if you've got a problem then you can take it up with him when he comes back." As an afterthought she added, "—and I'm telling you now, I won't be healing her and I'm not going to take responsibility for her if he returns and she's still here. You two take care of her and get her gone as quickly as possible and we'll act like it never happened."

"Thank you." spoke a deeper voice, this one emitted from a shadowed corner before he started to walk towards the other two. He was the other Akatsuki from before, the one that was extremely tall with orange-colored spikes going every which way on his head.

"Whatever, just mind your mouths, she's awake." Spat out the kunoichi as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Sakura could now feel the gaze of three pairs of eyes settle on her at the statement and was slightly surprised that the kunoichi was able to detect her state of consciousness. She had been regulating her chakra as steadily as possible as to not alert them of her coming to, but it seemed as if the kunoichi had an exceptional sensory and had seen straight through her ploy. Sakura would have to be careful around her. As she shifted slightly under their impenetrable stares, Sakura winced at the intense jolt of pain that coursed through her and was more than surprised when the large male walked over to her. She kept still, her eyes watching him warily while she kept the other two in her periphery.

"I advise you not move too much, kunoichi-san. You were gravely injured before my teammate and I found you."

His tone was gentle and slightly soothing. He spoke like one would when approaching a frightened animal that had been cornered with no means of escape (which was a very apt description of the situation Sakura had recently landed herself in). The man moved slightly and she braced herself for the worst but was once again surprised when he merely removed a canteen from the hidden depths of his cloak and held it forward, his head tilted slightly as if asking for permission.

Sakura swallowed thickly as she tried to ignore how scratchy her throat was. She eyed him warily, her eyes continued to flicker between the proffered canteen and his face in an attempt to gouge his actions. There was no way for her to know that the water hadn't been spiked, and no way for her to truly know his intentions at face-value. But despite her wariness, the dull ache in her throat brought back her desperate thirst and subconsciously, Sakura swallowed thickly. The Akatsuki seemed to notice this and moved the canteen a little closer to her lips.

Sakura pressed her lips together tightly.

"Just take a drink. If you're going to be safe with anybody around here, it's Juugo. He's the one that saved you from a premature death. It wouldn't really make much sense if he killed you now." The white-haired male called out.

Sakura took a glance at the smaller male as he shot her a pointed-tooth grin. Her gaze slowly traveled back to whom she presumed to be Juugo as he continued holding out the canteen to her with an almost hopeful look. It could be a trap or a ploy to make her gain a false sense of security, but then again it might not be, and if there was any chance for her to escape it wouldn't happen if she was bedridden with dehydration. After a few more moments her thirst won over her headstrong nature and Sakura slowly tried to sit up. She shifted slightly on what she quickly recognized was a sleeping bag and was immediately flooded by another torrent of searing pain that erupted on her side. She locked her jaw to keep from crying out, determined not to give anyone the satisfaction of knowing that at the moment she really was vulnerable. Not that they thought much of her right now anyway.

A large hand slowly reached out and rested gently on her shoulder as he her propped up slightly; making the blanket that had been tucked under her chin to slide down her torso. Juugo's other hand came up as he pressed the canteen to her mouth. After a moment of hesitation, she tilted her head back slightly and allowed him to place the canteen at her lips. The cool water was like heaven in her parched mouth and in her relief, Sakura briefly forgot her surroundings and chugged the canteen greedily. With her thirst quenched, she kept still as Juugo gently placed her back down on the sleeping bag. Sakura was just about to at least give him a brief 'thank you', when she got a glimpse of her now exposed arms.

Blotches of purples, blues, and sickly yellows invaded her vision. Out of habit, she directed her chakra to her wounds to asses the damage and was stunned when it didn't bend to her will like normal.

"I've sealed your chakra. You won't be able to use it until I decide to remove the seals." said the female; obviously aware of Sakura's state of confusion. She looked down her nose at Sakura, lips pulled down in distaste as if being in her presence alone was disgusting. Unconsciously, Sakura's own face glowered back as she briefly wondered how exactly the kunoichi knew what she was trying to do.

A tense moment passed and a rough bark of laughter pulled Sakura out of her thoughts. "Don't be such a bitch, Karin. She's just a kid."

The Akatsuki with white hair came to stand next to the red-haired kunoichi, his face contorted in amusement as he peered down at Sakura. "Besides, I don't think Juugo would take it well if you insulted his _guest_."

Karin scowled, "It's not my problem if she's weak, Suigetsu."

_**Excuse me? I'll show you weak! Shannaro!**_

_Can it._ Sakura growled. This _really_ wasn't the time for her Inner to voice her opinions.

Sakura stayed still, her eyes rested on the three figures before her. There was no doubt in her mind that they were the Akatsuki she had seen from before despite the fact that Karin hadn't been with them at the time. Sakura fought the urge to let out a cynical laugh at this. It really seemed like there was some kind of greater force that was out to get her considering the abysmal things she'd had to go through concerning the last three years of her life. As if Danzou practically forcing her away from her home (because there was absolutely _no_ way she would have given him the satisfaction of allowing him the chance to do god-knows-what to her as a suitable punishment for a crime she caught him committing), living her life always on the run or in hiding, and practically becoming an enemy to her own village with every Root member she killed, wasn't enough, she just _had_ to go and run into not one, but _three_ Akatsuki all at once. And, like the gods hadn't finished their torment, the count would soon increase to four in the span of twenty-four hours.

_Fantastic_.

Despite trying to remain calm and her head rational, Sakura could feel the steady stream of fear beginning to seep into her system. She was alone in the middle of who-knows-where with three Akatsuki and absolutely no chakra at her expense. There was just enough to keep up her transformation (one that she hoped desperately they hadn't caught on to) but if she tried to use that little bit, her henge would cancel and she'd be left exposed to them and that was not an option.

Sakura was somewhat up to date with all of the goings-on in the shinobi world. She knew the biggest news that was constantly floating around as topics in the local water-holes and inns that she had sometimes visited, so it was safe to say she knew that Akatsuki had waged war against the five great nations because they had refused to give up the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails three years ago was common knowledge. But what most didn't know, something that was on a far more personal level to her, was that it meant that Naruto was still safe. If the Akatsuki who had captured her were to discover who she was and just how close she was (had been?) to the Nine-Tails jinchuuriki, Sakura wouldn't doubt in the slightest that they would use her as bait to lure her friend out. Especially considering that _Sasuke_ was now with them and could easily contribute his knowledge of their bonds.

Whether he would include himself if he were ever expected to explain such tales of their youth would remain a mystery.

The thought left a bitter taste in Sakura's mouth and she slowly began to feel angry with herself for foolishly falling into their hands. She was so caught up in her musings that she failed to notice Juugo approach her once more, this time with a roll of bandages in hand. She frowned when she caught sight of him, not at all comfortable with what she knew he wished to do.

Apparently, the tall Akatsuki could read people very well as he began to talk once again and tried to soothe her steadily rising anxiety and anger. "You won't be able to move for a while kunoichi-san, especially since my teammate has chosen not to heal you. Allow me to help you until you are once again able to move freely on your own."

Sakura watched Juugo for a long moment with a critical eye. There was nothing sinister about his gentle gaze at all. In fact, he seemed almost worried as he cast her side several furtive glances. The large possibility of that thought was not as far-off as she hoped it to be.

"How bad is it?" she asked after a terse moment.

The other two Akatsuki looked at her, surprised. They hadn't expected her to speak and she hadn't intended to, but having been a medic for so long and knowing that this was most probably something she could heal made her speak up. There was no need to waste supplies no matter whose they were.

"Your arms and abdomen are heavily bruised and there is a long gash on your right side which has yet to be properly mended. I managed to stop the blood flow slightly, but if you move too suddenly I'm sure what little that has healed on its own will most likely re-open."

Sakura frowned pensively as she took in his information. It wasn't a bad diagnosis, but it wasn't incredibly descriptive either. There were other kinds of complications that could have started to develop during her being unconscious that one who wasn't well versed in medical ninjutsu could have easily overlooked. Judging from how each breath from her part was punctuated with a sharp pain, Sakura was willing to bet that several of her ribs were broken and by the feel of her enflamed side, she was positive that it was infected. She looked up at Juugo, who had now situated himself beside her and was gently pulling the cloak that covered her and raised her faded blue tunic to better access the injury.

Her torso was wrapped in several linen bandages, the corners of the gauze he had placed on the most serious parts of her injuries peeked from under the layers. The spots of dried blood on the wrappings themselves were few, which indicated that her bandages had been changed at least once while she had been passed out. Sakura tried to ignore the small knot that formed in her stomach at the thought of being so vulnerable in their presence.

She was once again pulled out of her thoughts when Juugo's steady hands came to her shoulders once more as he gently sat her up, one hand easily kept her balanced while the other pulled the end of the wrapping that had been tucked into one of the many folds. He unwound it with the kind of precision that came from experience that showed Sakura that he had had his fair share of having to look after injured teammates.

As the dirty bandages came away she was immensely displeased with the sight of her injury. True to diagnosis, her gash was infected. The laceration had a distinct greenish color around the edges and the skin beyond that a puckered pink which oozed out something that she'd rather not give a name to.

_**Great, now we've got do deal with **_**this**_**. As if being caught by Akatsuki wasn't bad enough.**_ Her Inner sighed resentfully.

_Tell me about it._

Juugo pulled out a bag of dried herbs from his pack which Sakura recently noticed sat nestled near her head. It seemed that the large man had given her his sleeping place, allowing her some slight comfort and had opted to stay somewhere else. Sakura caught herself observing his hands as he delicately pulled out two pieces of the dried grass from their confine before he retrieved a small bowl and pestle along with his canteen of water. Catching on to what he wished to do, Sakura frowned slightly at his actions. The paste which he wanted to create was one that would soothe the fire that raged on her side caused by the infection and also serve as a protective barrier between her injury and any dirt.

The thought that he would go so far for her despite not knowing who she was, and the fact that he was an _Akatsuki_, spoke volumes. He didn't seem like his other teammates; like Karin, who Sakura had grown to dislike within the short time of being conscious, nor like the white-haired nin that was overly playful and enjoyed making the red-head mad. In fact, he was quite the opposite with his calm nature and soft voice. His gaze seemed anything but misleading and the manner which he had taken great care as to not move her suddenly or disruptively to prevent her from getting injured further also showed that he did care to a certain extent. It was in this train of thought that she realized that he really _had_ saved her life, especially when his teammates had pointed out that he didn't need to have bothered with her at all. That he could have easily left her to die or pushed her onto the doorstep of a local in on of the many small towns that were known to litter Lightning.

But he had chosen to look after her, and had chosen to take her as his responsibility.

Sakura could feel her anger waver slightly at the notion. How could someone that was part of a band of nukenin that were hell-bent on taking over all five nations by means of using the power of the extracted bijuu, be capable of such compassion?

Sakura had been so intently focused on her musings that she nearly missed when he took out a torn piece of cloth and dipped it in the salve before he approached her.

"That's not necessary. I know medical ninjutsu; I'll just need to have my chakra returned." She murmured before he went any further, her eyes landing on Karin who looked at her with a raised brow and appraising eyes.

"Is that so? If you knew medical ninjutsu then why didn't you use it beforehand?" she asked.

"Because," Sakura said through grit teeth. "I didn't exactly have access to it within the span of my passing out and now, have I?"

Karin's eyes narrowed to slits. "Why you little—"

"Just unseal her chakra, Karin. If the kid's able to heal herself she'll be good to go in no time and no one will have to know she was here!" Suigetsu interjected; both for the sake of getting the kid out of their hair and the other because he didn't want Karin to get started on a tirade. She was bad enough to deal with as it was now.

The kunoichi scowled at Suigetsu but said nothing for a while before she huffed angrily. It seemed that she was torn by his words. On the one hand, if the kid was telling the truth, she'd be able to heal herself like she said she would and be out of their hair within the next few hours. On the _other_ hand, there was no telling what might happen if Karin did return her chakra. Despite how uninvolved they were in Madara's operations, Akatsuki was still at war with the other nations, and there was no way of knowing that if they let this renegade go free that she wouldn't make her way to the nearest Allied Nations' outpost and inform them of their location. And if Sasuke found out that they had allowed some second-rate kunoichi get a hold of their location there was no telling what would happen.

Finally, after several long minutes of internal debate, Karin had made her choice. She walked forward, her jaw set, and made some hand signs before pressing her index and middle finger to Sakura's forehead.

Sakura fought the urge to twitch at the fact that she had placed the seal on her _forehead _as she felt the wavering of the seal before chakra began to flow normally once more. She could immediately feel her strength return as her chakra began to stream into her but frowned when she realized that only a fourth of her reserves had been returned.

"The rest is still sealed, why?" she snapped, clearly unhappy.

"Don't whine, kid. I've given you enough to heal yourself, if you _can_, and until you can show me that this little encounter you've had will stay strictly confidential, you won't be getting any more." Karin replied waspishly.

Sakura couldn't help the frown that etched itself onto her features at Karin's words. "Trust me; I will be _more than glad_ to forget this ever happened once you let me go."

The other kunoichi said nothing but sent her a leveled glare which Sakura brushed off as she began to focus what little chakra was returned to her injuries, smirking slightly when she noticed the other kunoichi's obvious displeasure to being ignored.

* * *

The sun beat down mercilessly upon them that day. It was strange, really, considering the fact that they were up north in one of the expanses of land that sat nestled between Fire Country and Lightning and it was spring. The air was oppressing with its humidity and the fact that each gust of frigid wind struck them didn't help much either. It was a constant bout between hot and cold and after experiencing it for nearly _seven_ hours, Naruto had grown sick of it.

For the umpteenth time that afternoon since he was put on watch, Naruto looked back longingly to the camp of tents that lay nestled inside the stone wall that surrounded it. But like every other time Naruto took a look at camp from his position, he turned around abruptly and forced his mind to clear the images of Konoha in ruins and instead focus on keeping his comrades safe.

The eighteen-year-old jinchuuriki let out an impatient breath before he turned and glared at the expanse of forest before his post. Of all the things that Naruto had learned to get accustomed to in the three years they had been at war, keeping watch was the one that took a toll on his person the most. He had never been patient, probably never _would_ be patient, so it made little sense to him that his superiors would constantly force him to carry out this particular mundane job (even if it _was_ important to their safety). So, like every other time he'd been sent out, he cheated.

Closing his eyes as he folded his hands in his lap, Naruto allowed the nature chakra to seep into his own. The familiar tingle in his eyes came as he merged them together seamlessly, building it up in his system while he kept tabs on the dozens of signatures of his comrades he had come to know. It was simpler this way, and he wouldn't have to keep a constant eye out for danger. If there was ever an ambush all he had to do was take note of the unfamiliar blips that appeared on what he called his "chakra radar" and alert one of the commanding officers immediately.

As he took a steady breath, a familiar signature was quickly making its way to his outpost. The corners of his lips twitched up in a smile as they finally made their way towards him. The sounds of nin-sandals clacking on the wooden deck of the bungalow high up in the trees resonated in his ears and once he opened his eyes the smile that had begun to build finally broke free.

"Hey Hinata-chan."

The kunoichi in question smiled softly at him as she tucked a wayward lock of her dark hair behind her ear. "H-hello Naruto-kun. Kakashi-taichou says you're dismissed from watch, and that we have a w-window of fifteen minutes before we alternate posts."

Naruto smiled at the way her cheeks reddened, with no doubt in his mind that she knew _exactly_ why his former sensei had given them such a huge window of time for them to switch. Blue eyes watched aptly as she walked forward in full shinobi regalia. Her long hair was pulled back in a bun and there was a slight thinness to her face that had come with age as she matured into a young woman. Her Shinobi headband rested against her collarbone, slightly obscured by the high collar of her flak jacket and shone dully in the little light that entered the post.

Naruto extended his hand for her to take and gently led her down to sit between his legs, allowing her head to rest against his shoulder. They sat there for several moments, neither saying anything, merely content with being in each other's presence. The flex of her chakra told Naruto that she had activated her bloodline limit and despite their relaxed positions, had not allowed her guard to drop for a moment. Naruto pressed a chaste kiss to the top of her head and grinned slightly when he felt her face grow hot. Even after two years of being together, she still reacted like she had as a genin.

"I've missed this," she whispered. "I miss being able to relax in your arms. I miss Shino-kun and Kiba-kun and Akamaru. I miss _home_."

"I miss home too, Hinata-chan. I miss being in my bed, eating at Ichiraku's, spending time with my friends. I miss…" he faltered slightly, but Hinata knew well enough to know what he was going to say.

_Sasuke and Sakura-chan._

The pained silence that followed was excruciating. Naruto held onto Hinata tightly, urging the thoughts, _their faces_, to go away. Because it hurt, it hurt so much that sometimes he let it get the best of him and because of it; it had led him to fail a teammate in the midst of battle on more than one occasion.

All it had taken for Naruto's world to shatter was losing two of his most precious people within the span of six short years.

Sasuke's defection from Konoha had been, and still was, a hard hit on him. He was perhaps the only person whom he ever thought of as the closest thing to a brother as possible for him, and he had hoped that somewhere deep down, Sasuke had thought the same of him. Sasuke's confession that he had become his closest friend had constantly left a bittersweet taste in Naruto's mouth. He rejoiced in knowing that after all this time, that despite their dislike for one another in the beginning, that Sasuke had grown to care for him as much as Naruto did. But that sentiment was overshadowed by his friend's thirst for power, and finding out almost three years later at the tender age of fifteen that it was because of his bond with the last Uchiha that his friend had felt it necessary to take his life in order to come closer to completing his goal. Needless to say that Sasuke had proved to be strong enough to defeat Itachi without the aid of the Mangekyou Sharingan. But the moment he had done so, fate had thrown yet another roadblock between his and Sakura's goal to bring him home, and Madara had been much faster at arriving to his side, thus setting Sasuke on the path he was now on. Konoha had now become his number one enemy and the hope for his return, unless provided by some miracle, was slim.

Despite how hard Sasuke's defection had hit him, it was _Sakura's_ disappearance that had put the icing on the metaphorical cake that was his life before it shot to the very pits of hell.

When the news had spread that Sakura had a warrant out for her arrest and later deemed a missing-nin from Konoha by order of the Rokudaime Hokage, everyone had been worked into a frenzy. Team Kakashi had promptly assembled and ran through the area of their village, each looking for any signs of familiar pink hair in hopes that the news was false, but found none. It wasn't much later that Naruto (with Kakashi, Sai, and Yamato in tow) had barged into Danzou's office and demanded an explanation.

He could still remember those words as if they had been spoken yesterday.

_The door to the Hokage's newly reconstructed office burst open with a thunderous bang. The three Root members that were situated around the Rokudaime's desk suddenly tensed and took stance for an attack. Naruto had promptly hurried in, ignoring the calls of his teammates and made a bee-line towards Danzou. The Root operatives were quick to move, but each paused uncharacteristically as Naruto's eyes bled red in his outrage._

"_Where is she?" he bellowed, his hands slammed onto the desk and this time the Root didn't hesitate to intercept him, they were stopped however, when columns of wood shot from the floor of the circular office and encased each of them._

_Danzou appeared unfazed by the goings-on around him and merely looked to Naruto with a mild look of boredom and satisfaction in his visible eye. After a moment he looked towards Kakashi, Yamato, and Sai; each regarded him with blank expressions that hid the turbulent feelings within themselves._

"_Answer me!" the blond yelled, which compelled the Hokage to look at him once more._

"_Haruno Sakura has left the village of her own free will after failing to report to me when summoned and for interfering in matters for the village's welfare." He replied gruffly._

"_That's a lie! Sakura-chan would never leave the village like that. Konoha's her home, everything she's ever done has been to protect it. What reason would she have to get in the middle of something that would be good for it?"_

"_Haruno Sakura is not, nor has she ever been, a priority of mine. I do not bother myself with questions of 'what if' or ponder over the circumstances of her leave, only that she has done so and without my permission. My men merely informed me of her interference and I had summoned her for questioning—"_

"_More like you sent out a squadron of Root to arrest her and probably bring her in for interrogation!" Naruto yelled, his temper rising dangerously. His canines were beginning to elongate and sharpen considerably and he could feel the beginnings of the Kyuubi's chakra boiling beneath his skin violently._

_Yamato, Kakashi, and Sai all looked upon him warily, the former readying himself in the case that the seal might weaken considering the battle that had taken place between Naruto and Pain had only been a mere seventy-two hours ago and he had yet to fully recover his reserves completely._

_Danzou looked at them unfazed, his sharp eye watching them evenly—scrutinizing—as they stood before him rigidly, knowing that they were breaking at least six laws by being in his office and having his men taken care of and having him in their mercy. And yet, it was because of the position they were in, that despite their rage, the men of Team Kakashi felt a small form of trepidation engulf them. By placing the Hokage in this position, they were also putting themselves at risk, both by law and his own personal agenda._

"Naruto." _Kakashi warned._

_There was no doubt in his mind that after this was over, if Danzou allowed them to walk out, there would be hell to pay and the price would be steep. He could easily demote Yamato, Sai, and Kakashi in a heartbeat, he could easily prohibit Naruto from being a ninja of Konohagakure for the rest of his life and force him to live in confinement as a civilian within the borders; or worse, under lock and key like some kind of animal. They all knew in one way or another that they were playing a dangerous game, and if there was any chance of them to get Sakura back, they needed to remain in the Hokage's good graces; even if it disgusted them to do so._

_They had to, for Sakura._

_At seeing his senpai's actions, Yamato released the guards but refused to let the seal on his hand fade as he focused it on Naruto more intensely. Sai merely stood several feet from them, the brush he had whipped out subconsciously replaced into his pouch along with his special chakra-laced ink as he watched the scene before him as expressionless as the way he had been trained. It was only Naruto that had yet to relent as he dug his fingers into the oak of the desk, his claws scratched off the polish and stain of the surface._

"_If that is all gentlemen, I would kindly see to it that you are escorted out of this tower. And I hope, in the future, that you think twice before barging in and threaten your superior officer for the sake of one kunoichi, no matter _who_ she is." Danzou dismissed, and immediately Naruto was hauled off of his desk and shoved roughly back to his team._

_The Root members all grabbed them by the collars and shoved them out of the Rokudaime's office and into the abandoned corridor. The flex of their chakra settled beyond the double doors and into the office let Team Kakashi know that they were not taking any more chances._

"_Dammit!" Naruto cursed as he slammed his fist into the stone wall, making the portraits and scrolls hanging tremble slightly._

"_Calm down, Naruto." Yamato said. "We're not going to be of any help to Sakura if we can't keep our heads on straight"_

"_He's right." Kakashi agreed, pulling the blond from the wall and pushing him down the corridor. "We've got to think this through. If we're rash, he'll demote us all and any chance we'll have to find Sakura will be gone."_

_Naruto said nothing as he walked the corridor, his shoulders slightly slumped in the same manner they had been when he had learned of Jiraiya's death. He only paused when the weight of Kakashi's gloved hand came down on his shoulder and bleak blue eyes met equally bleak charcoal gray ones._

"_We'll get her back, Naruto; Sasuke too. We don't ever turn our backs on our teammates. Got it?"_

"_Got it." He replied._

The memory had haunted him for the longest time. A bittersweet reminder of just how much pain the bonds he shared with Sasuke and Sakura could bring. But no matter the pain, in the end it only served to push him harder towards his goals. Come heaven or hell, he'd fight and he'd _die_ to get them back.

It was the only way.

The blond exhaled loudly as he pulled Hinata closer to him, relishing in the warmth her small frame gave off and relaxing slightly as he caught her faint scent.

"I'll get them back." He vowed, "And when I do, everyone will see that no matter what, our bonds are the strongest things we have."

"I-I know, Naruto-kun. I know." She replied; her opalescent gaze transfixed on his own as a soft smile curved her lips.

They both stood, knowing that their time together was coming to an end, and shared a brief kiss. "Be careful, Hinata-chan." He murmured against her temple.

"Always." She vowed.

* * *

"Dammit," Sakura grit through clenched teeth, small beads of sweat rolling down her temples as the green chakra that emitted from her hand dimmed slightly at her lack of reserves. She had been at this for the past three _hours_. The moment she had felt all of the chakra that had been returned to her completely replenished, she had begun to work tediously on her wounds. The first thing she had fixed were the fractured ribs, followed closely by the gash along her side.

It had been tricky, considering that she first had to draw out the infection before she was able to properly mend the wound. That alone had taken a little more than two hours, not to mention that she hadn't healed the gash completely by the time her chakra began to fizzle out, only enough so that it wouldn't re-open upon movement. If some of the chakra that she had regained didn't replenish soon, it would lead to another possible infection.

Only when she felt her reserves come dangerously low, almost to the point where her henge would have diminished, did she finally stop and slumped against the stone wall Juugo had propped her onto.

The large man sat several feet away from her, his gaze would travel towards her every so often to make sure that she was alright and in slight fascination to her glowing hands. The moment she finished he stood up once again and walked towards her with his water canteen and urged her to take a few sips.

"Thank you." She replied once more, still cautious but acutely aware that he was the only one here that gave a damn about her enough to make sure she was alright; captive or no. Juugo nodded silently, and for a while it was only the two of them. Suigetsu had gone off in search of dinner and Karin to secure the parameter around their camp, leaving Sakura in Juugo's capable hands.

After another moment, Sakura spoke up apprehensively. "Do you still have that salve on you?"

Juugo nodded silently before he made his way towards her, his hand protruded from his cloak as he held the small pot of pale green paste. He took a seat before her, resting the salve onto the ground before he removed his cloak. "If I may?" he asked, indicating her open tunic which showed her bound chest and the gash along her side.

Sakura looked at him for a moment, she knew that she was able to trust him to a certain extent, and knew that he wouldn't offer his help to her in a manner to get the upper hand on her. What was there to get an upper hand to? Her chakra was gone and she was still gravely injured that she wouldn't stand a chance if he were to attack her now. It was that along with the orange glow of his eyes as he looked to her cautiously but unable to hide the apparent worry he felt. _How could he look at her like that?_

She nodded slowly and allowed herself to be laid down onto his mat, watching as his gaze grew scrutinizing as he took great care as to not touch the areas that were still rather tender, and began to spread the salve over her enflamed skin. The effect was instantaneous, the mint he had added soothed the irritation along with several of the other herbs that stopped the festering itch and discoloration. Despite her previous apprehension, Juugo really knew somewhat about what he was doing. When he finished spreading the salve, he brought out a roll of linen bandages and bound her to make sure that the wound was well-covered from the elements. He finished up by simply buttoning the front of her tunic and replacing his cloak atop of her.

"You're very skilled in medical ninjutsu for a kunoichi of your age. I've seen some at work before and half of the injuries you've acquired would have taken a fully capable medic-nin at least twice as long."

_Shit_. She cursed. Sakura pressed her lips into a thin line but showed no other indication of being taken by surprise at his astuteness. Instead she played dumb and kept her voice as steady and surprised as believable, "Really? I've only ever done this a handful of times. Usually I make sure I don't get hurt to keep from using it."

Juugo nodded, "A good choice considering you're out here on your own. If you don't mind me asking, why exactly are you—"

His question was cut off when a piercing shout filled the air. "JUUGO! COME HELP!"

Juugo was up and out of the cave in the next moment, not taking so much as a second glance at Sakura as he did so. Sakura's brows puckered slightly at this, it seemed that whoever they had been waiting for had arrived early, and not in the state he had left them in.

This was her chance.

Standing on shaky legs, Sakura took this opportunity to gather her things and leave the cave where they had made camp. She could find time to work on the seal later, the priority was to get out alive and put as much distance between her and them as she could. She placed her torn cloak over her shoulders as she slipped out, taking note of the steady brook that gurgled pleasantly beneath the light of the moon and making sure that none of the Akatsuki that were out didn't take notice of her.

She slipped into the safety of the shadows that the trees provided, steadily navigating her way through their winding paths as she pressed on despite her exhaustion. Sakura failed to notice Suigetsu coming up behind her until it was too late and she was overtaken.

"Where exactly do you think you're going, kid?" he asked, looking down at her with an expression that was mixed between exasperation and humor.

"I'm leaving." She replied stonily, ignoring the patronizing smirk he gave her as if to say, 'yeah right'.

"SUIGETSU!" Karin yelled, this time sounding much closer than she had when Sakura and Juugo had been in the cave.

The Mist-nin rolled his eyes at her shrill tone. "_It_ calls. Come on kid, let's get this shit over with."

"What ever happened to just letting me go before _he_ comes?" she replied.

Suigetsu grinned at her, "That was the plan _before_ Karin deemed you untrustworthy. Not that I blame her. It wouldn't do well for us if the Big Guy found out that we'd been compromised by you. So you're staying. Like it or not."

Sakura didn't have the chance to reply when she was suddenly swept off of her feet and thrown over his shoulder like a sack of rice.

"Hey!" she protested.

"Just shut up and keep still unless you want to die in the next twenty seconds." He warned, his playful tone gone as it took a more serious edge that she had yet to encounter.

Despite her anger, Sakura wisely kept her mouth shut and within moments, they had caught up to Juugo and Karin. They were nestled in a small clearing that lay hidden in the shadows, Karin heaving slightly as she carried part of the man's slumped form across her shoulders while Juugo took his other side. Suigetsu promptly dumped Sakura at the base of a nearby tree; his warning gaze met with her heated one and spared one amused smirk before heading off towards his teammates.

"Lay him off on me, Karin. Oh, and keep an eye on our little prisoner. She was trying to escape when all this happened. Be glad I caught her."

The kunoichi glared at Suigetsu's tone before turning and fixed Sakura an icy glare while she slowly eased an arm off of her shoulders and passed onto Suigetsu who took him easily.

"Hey, you gonna be alright?" Suigetsu prompted. His eyes squinted slightly due to lack of light, but the unmistakable scent of blood was in the air.

"Don't be such an idiot, Suigetsu. _Look_ at him, he's bleeding out everywhere and barely conscious!" Karin snapped.

The moment she finished her sentence was the very same where the two men helped their slumped teammate out of the shadows and further into the clearing. The light of the moon bleached the world of any color, making Suigetsu's white hair practically glow and Juugo's orange color fade to a brown.

Sakura froze when her eyes landed upon the man suspended between them.

_**It couldn't be…**_

_No…_

The moment the thoughts ran through her head, the feeble control of her chakra that had kept her well-hidden wavered and blared like a siren to the member who did not know of her presence until that moment. His dark head snapped up and she was frozen within the gaze of murderous red eyes.

_Sasuke._

Time seemed to slow, as he moved in a blur. He wrenched himself from Juugo's and Suigetsu's grasps and appeared before her in a flash, his katana poised at her throat.

His Sharingan revolved dangerously before melding together and taking a different form, his Mangekyou, and looked down the length of his blade at her.

"_Sakura._"


	4. Unmasked

**A/N:** I give you full permission to hate me. No really, I mean it. I feel like I practically vanished from the face of the earth fanfic-wise. Fml.

I'm not too thrilled about this chapter as it doesn't seem like my best work but there was a reason that I hadn't updated in so long (damn my muse and her ability to hold my fics hostage). There's also been a few personal issues that I've had to deal with. Now I'm not one to start unloading emotional baggage on you lot, but I just wanted to let you know that you guys weren't forgotten. In fact updating this story was something that I've wanted to do quite badly. But again, circumstances came up that I couldn't just ignore and here we are two months later.

A huge thank you for all of those that have left me such awesome reviews. I'm so glad that you are enjoying what I've got so far and I can't wait to see how you guys will continue to respond as the story continues to unfold. Believe me, there is much more to come :).

xx LCF

P.S. Oh and before I forget, I've decided to take up _Empathapathique 's_ advice and find myself a beta to help with this. You can use my muse as a punching bag when she decides to act up again. :D

PM me if anyone's interested and/or knows anyone good.

**Disclaimer: **Despite the fact that Naruto and all of the badass characters within that manga are not mine, I still feel the insane urge to mess with their lives. No worries, I'll try not to do anything too horrible to them. Try being the operative word.

* * *

**_Storm_**

Chapter 3: Unmasked

* * *

She stood frozen before his blade; the sound of her heart pounding in her chest was all she could hear after he had uttered her name. She had a lapse in her control which was not something she was privy to do, especially when her life was on the line; but she had been so genuinely shocked in a way she hadn't been in such a long time that it had wavered, and for an instant her henge faltered and made the short dark hair she bore turn a startlingly pink shade in the moonlight before reverting back to its inky hue.

It was only for a fraction of a second, but it was enough for Sasuke to notice the miniscule shift of her chakra. Despite his beaten frame, it seemed that his senses were as sharp as ever.

She could feel the fatigue from using so much chakra start to creep up on her. She was exhausted and her body ached from the sudden movement she had done when she attempted to escape. It had been too soon for her to begin strenuous activity, she knew that, but the desire to leave had burned desperately inside of her and she had to _try_.Now there was nothing left for her to use in case a fight broke out between them and she knew that if it came down to it, she'd most likely lose her life at his hands.

Sakura waited for his arm to move, waited for him to effortlessly glide his sword across her skin like nothing, and waited for him to end her life as his reputation foretold. He was merciless now and she dared not hope that she would possibly be an exception. If he was willing to kill Naruto, his best friend, what chance did she stand?

The feel of his blade biting into her neck made her snap her attentions back to him, and suddenly she was falling, the darkness of the night encompassed her like a blanket and the last thing she knew was the Sharingan's penetrating gaze.

_I'm such a fool._

* * *

Warm tracks of blood ran down Sasuke's cheek when he felt the Sharingan fade. His hold on Kusanagi weakened as the last of his chakra burnt out and he staggered slightly to the ground near Sakura's crumpled form, his breath coming in labored pants. That final burst of energy he had used when he had taken note of Sakura's chakra signature had been pushing his limits. _Limits_, he thought bitterly, _that should no longer be there_.

"Sasuke!" Karin yelled; the muted sounds of feet hitting the earth were barely discernable through the haze of exhaustion in his mind.

"Quick, Sasuke! Bite before you pass out." She instructed as she thrust a bare forearm before his lips.

Teeth barely connected with yielding flesh as she willed her chakra to seep into him. He felt the burning sensation of his skin knitting itself back together along with the gradual stop of the blood flow that had been steadily pouring from him.

Slowly, the haze in his mind began to lift. As his exhaustion began to recede, his mind grew clearer, and his thoughts turned darker. Onyx eyes narrowed slightly as memories of the battle he had involved himself that had almost cost him his life flooded into his mind. If it hadn't been for the fact that he had had enough strength to summon one of his hawks and return to Taka's designated meeting point, he would have still been sprawled on the ground in the middle of that forsaken battlefield and probably would have died like the hundreds of other shinobi had.

It was a large feat to be able to lay a hand on his person, and rarer still to be able to injury him critically and force him to waste such an absurd amount of his chakra.

Then again, it hadn't been just _anybody_ whom he had fought against.

After several minutes passed, the worst of his injuries had closed up entirely and when he felt he had enough strength, he stood on his own. Karin slumped forward in exhaustion, sweat beading her brow as she took in ragged breaths. Juugo quickly descended on her, scooping up the redhead easily in his arms before turning to Sasuke for further instructions. The Uchiha gave him a brief nod, which Juugo took as his assent and began to make his way to their camp. He then looked to Suigetsu who was currently knelt over the unconscious kunoichi on the ground.

"What do you want to do with her?" he asked, the ends of his frosty hair brushed his shoulders as he tipped it slightly to the side.

"Bind her and return her to the cave. We'll see just how much she knows when she awakens in a few hours."

Suigetsu nodded silently, easily taking the unconscious kunoichi in his arms and headed towards the cave. Sasuke fixed a glare towards the dark-haired girl in the former Mist nin's grasp, his eyes piercing as he took note of her child-like demeanor.

He was positive it was Sakura, there was no other explanation. She was one of few shinobi that had almost impeccable chakra control and it would have been easy for her to use a henge that very few would be able to detect and infiltrate their camp. The only question that remained was what she wanted from them. Was she sent in for espionage? Reconnaissance? Was she there at another attempt to persuade him to return to Konoha?

The last thought made his aura darken considerably, enough that Suigetsu looked over his shoulder a few times at him as they silently made their way to the cave. No matter her reason, the only way he would ever step foot through those gates willingly once more would be to fulfill his own wishes and to cleanse the name of his clan.

The memory of his confrontation between Kakashi and Naruto filled in his mind. _I want to change that laughter into screams and cries of pain and anguish!_

Shaking the confrontation he had had with Kakashi and Naruto years ago from his mind, Sasuke turned his dark gaze upon the trailing arms that hung from Suigetsu's hold.

…What was her purpose?

The moment she'd awaken from the Sharingan's grasp, Sasuke had every intention of finding out.

* * *

Figures raced through the tree line at breakneck speeds, well-hidden by the shadows that the forest provided in the night. An entire platoon of shinobi was on the move, all following their taichou forward as he ran alongside his subordinate. Mismatched eyes slid towards the left as they rested on the Byakugan user's intent face. Hinata's hair tie had come loose long ago and her violet strands blew out behind her wildly as she raced forward.

"How much closer are we?" Kakashi asked.

"We're about nine kilometers away, taichou." She responded thickly, her breath caught in her throat as the most recent battleground came into her sight.

Her eyes searched desperately for any sign of the familiar chakra she had loved almost her entire life but found none. Try as she might, Hinata could not ignore the heavy weight that began to settle in her stomach or the unbidden tears that gathered in the corners of her eyes as they approached.

They arrived within several minutes and it was all Hinata could do to keep from crying out at the sight. If the scene had been horrible as she saw it through her bloodline limit, seeing it with her own eyes was all the more vivid.

Bodies lay strewn across the ground bloody and torn under the light of the moon. The stench of mutilated flesh filled the air as they got closer and it was only by her taichou's orders that Hinata was able to keep herself from running forward and look for Naruto among the mass of bodies. The medic-nins rushed forward, hands alight as they quickly sought out any survivors and were quickly followed another squadron that went to make sure there weren't any living Zetsus among them.

Kakashi looked at the morbid sight before him silently. He could hear the slight gasps that escaped his subordinates as they all entered the demolished zone and could quite literally feel their trepidation, fear, and disgust at the sight before them. War was never a pretty thing, and he had hoped (albeit stupidly) that the following generation would have been spared to see such a gruesome sight. It changed people and forced them into growing up quickly. How many times had he seen Naruto begin to take more after his father as the war progressed? How many times had that carefree smile he had in common with Kushina see the light of day since the beginning of this war? The legendary Copy-Nin pulled himself out of his thoughts as he felt the chakra signature of his summoned ninken approach.

"Kakashi," called Pakkun's rough voice. "We found him." They wasted no time and disappeared in the next instant, Kakashi following Pakkun through the trees as the small ninken navigated his way through the forest.

* * *

It didn't take long for them to find Naruto. He was lying in the middle of a demolition site, the ground blasted apart with what was sure to have been his rasenshuriken and the scorch marks on his skin showed that he had used the fox's cloak and quite possibly released a few tails during his battle. Kakashi appeared at his side immediately, already taking note of the Kyuubi's chakra as it worked to heal and re-knit Naruto's body. He crouched beside him, a wave of relief washed over him as dark grey eyes took in the sight of his breathing body and sharp ears took in the sound of his beating heart.

Naruto may have been broken and bloody, but he was _alive_.

"Is he alright?" came a voice from the other side of the clearing before entering the light of the moon.

The cloaked Root pulled down his hood and removed the porcelain mask to reveal an equally pale face. Sai made his way towards Kakashi and Naruto quickly, a shadow of concern filling his features as he took in Naruto's battered form.

"He'll be fine in a few days, Sai. We just need to get him out of here quickly." Kakashi said as he took in a steady breath and began lifting his student in his arms. When he finally got the blond situated on his back, he could not help the sense of nostalgia that filled him when he saw his student's booted feet catching on the ground slightly with each step.

_You're getting too big for me to keep carrying you around, Naruto_. Kakashi thought as he walked forward, memories of the Valley of the End and after Pain's defeat flitting before his mind's eye. Both times he had been there to pick him up and carry him home, and although they could not go home now, Kakashi was sure to take him as close to it as he possibly could. He owed him that much.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, the Copy-nin turned to Sai. "How did you manage to sneak away from your squadron this time?"

"There wasn't so much sneaking done, Kakashi-sensei. The squadron was on patrol and we split into our single-cell groups in order to cover more area before returning back to the checkpoint. I still have seven minutes before I'm due to return."

"So I figure that Danzou has caught the news of the ambush then? Is that why you were sent out?"

Sai shook his dark head, the Shinobi headband reflecting light. "It was just a routine patrol until we sensed the chaos from the fight. We got news to the Raikage as quickly as we could but by the time your platoon was dispatched for back-up the damage was already done."

Kakashi said nothing as he continued walking towards the rest of his platoon. Despite their slow pace, Sai and Kakashi were quickly approaching the battleground and their time was growing short. It wasn't until they paused a few meters from the edge of the forest, their shadowed bodies well hidden by the cover the trees provided.

"Let me know how he's doing." Sai said as he watched Naruto's slumped form intently before making eye-contact with Kakashi.

"I'll be sure to find a way." Kakashi agreed.

There were no more words spoken between them, and in the next instant Sai vanished, ready to fill out another report to their esteemed Rokudaime. Despite his trust in him, Kakashi took great care as to not divulge all of their happenings to the young Root. It was not due to lack of faith in him, but merely a precautionary move considering _Danzou's_ lack of trust in his subordinates. It was no secret that Sai was always being tailed and despite the fact that they were Root, it was painfully easy to lose their trail and find recluse somewhere nearby for a few minutes at a time.

Closing his eyes with a dejected breath to fight the headache that was sure to come after once again delving too deep into his tumultuous thoughts (a habit he had learned came with age, which he was definitely _not_ happy about), Kakashi took a deep breath as he walked into the clearing, bracing himself for the onslaught of questions and worry that was sure to come his way. Sure enough, the moment Hinata laid eyes on him she all but sprinted to his side and helped him bring the blond down from his perch.

"Where was he?" she asked, taking a rag from her kunai pouch and pouring water from her canteen over it. She gently ran the wet cloth over Naruto's bloodied face as tears accumulated in her eyes.

"He wasn't too far off, just a few meters from the edge of the forest. We should get him back to base and seek medical attention quickly." he replied.

Hinata nodded at his words as her pale eyes stayed fixated on Naruto's face. A delicate hand stretched out to brush hair away from his forehead affectionately before gently running down the side of his face. Kakashi mumbled something about going off to check on the others, but she paid him no mind. Her entire being was focused solely on the man before her. She took his hand in hers and ran a pale thumb lightly over his bloody knuckles. She furrowed her brow slightly at the feel of his hands. Instead of the constant heat that radiated throughout him, a side-effect of the fox within him, he felt remarkably cool.

She pressed her fingers to his wrist quickly, trying to locate any form of pulse but found none. Her hand then moved the artery in his neck, positive that she would find something there. It wasn't until she activated her Byakugan did she realize something had gone horribly wrong. She yelled for Kakashi immediately, her heart pounding a hundred miles a minute as cold sweat broke over her in fear.

Naruto's heart stopped beating.

* * *

Orange eyes landed for the umpteenth time on the unconscious kunoichi that lay bound on the floor of the cave. Large hands clenched the bloodied cloak that had been stripped of her, long fingers fidgeting with the material as he looked towards the mass of dark hair.

Her dark hair was splayed over her face after Suigetsu had unceremoniously dumped her onto Juugo's bedroll and, after a sharp glance from Sasuke, began binding her hands, wrists, and ankles. She took steady breaths, meaning that her injuries were no longer causing her any severe discomfort and she lay on her side with a serene expression on her heart-shaped face.

It had been a mere thirty minutes since Sasuke had woken from his third day of rest and currently all the members of Taka were congregated around the fire, each of them looking towards Sasuke with expectant eyes.

"How did she arrive?" Sasuke's voice called out from the darkness.

Karin shifted her eyes slightly toward Suigetsu with a frown on her face, her displeasure and obvious contempt towards him in plain view. Suigetsu, on the other hand, did nothing as he folded his hands behind his head and reclined against the stone wall after he had taken another swig of his water canteen.

"Simple, it was Juugo." He muttered.

"He wasn't the _only_ one, Suigetsu." Karin snapped, "You helped him get here with a half-dead child in his arms."

"Yeah, but it was _Juugo's_ idea, bitch." Suigetsu replied, his pointed teeth glimmered slightly in the light of the fire as he narrowed his violet eyes dangerously.

"Don't you dare call me a bit—"

"Karin, Suigetsu." Sasuke's voice rang.

Suigetsu paused momentarily, his eyes settling on Sasuke's dark ones before he gave one noncommittal shrug and closed his eyes as he leaned back against the stone wall. Karin let out an impatient huff before crossing her arms over her chest angrily but made no other form of protest. The steady crackling of the fire was the only source of noise in the cave for a few seconds before Juugo came forward with his explanation.

"It was my idea, Sasuke. If her being here is a disturbance I will quickly remedy the situation."

"That's not going to be possible." He deadpanned.

"I only need a day or so to find a small town and leave her there, it wouldn't be diff—"

"I said _no_."

The large man stilled slightly at the Uchiha's hard tone. Having spent the last three years in Taka, Juugo was well accustomed to all of Sasuke's tendencies. He knew the tones he drew for when Suigetsu and Karin's fighting were getting on the last of his nerves, he knew when he was tired even when he failed to show it. He knew his preferences and dislikes, knew how he wanted his operations carried out. It was the sort of gift that only time was able to give, it was comradeship. And this was the first time in three years that he had ever turned that tone towards him.

Off to the side, it seemed that Sasuke's small outburst had not gone unnoticed by the others. Despite her anger, Karin was peering over at them and Suigetsu cracked open a violet eye from his perch.

"I do not want you interacting with her; any of you. At least not until we find out who she is and what she wants with us."

Karin snorted from her spot. "Well you don't have to worry about me. Just let me know whether you want to either kill her or interrogate her."

"No!" Three pairs of eyes landed on Juugo who was suddenly standing. Karin rolled her eyes once more while Suigetsu shook his head in disapproval. Sasuke merely observed him with sharp eyes before the onyx pair flickered over briefly to where Sakura's prone form lay.

"She's just a kid." Juugo said quietly, as if that simple statement would be enough to move the stoic Uchiha.

Sasuke tore his gaze from the kunoichi's slumped form and directed it towards Juugo once more. "You know nothing about her."

"Neither do you." he replied in a rare show of resilience.

"We shall see when she awakens." was all the Uchiha replied before sitting back and allowing himself to be consumed by the shadows of the darkening sky.

* * *

Kakashi sat in the only other piece of furniture that occupied the small tent that Naruto was currently housed in. He had forced Hinata to leave just moments before, having to pull rank on the Hyuuga heiress when she failed to follow his direct order to return to her barracks and rest for the night.

He couldn't blame her, though. It was a simple fact known that when someone you cared about was on the line, one would do anything in order to protect them. Sakura had done so for the boys during the second part of their first chuunin exams, Sasuke had done the same back in their mission to the Land of Waves, and Naruto continued to do so for both of them; even now, six years after they had all been pulled down different paths.

The masked-nin let out a deep breath, silver brows pinched together as he tried to remember when exactly he had come to love these brats as his own.

Gray eyes landed on Naruto's still frame, his gaze fixated on the slow rise and fall of his chest as the eighteen-year-old took shallow breaths in his slumber. A gloved hand came up and rested on blond spikes much in the same manner that his sensei's had rested on his own.

To think that a few days ago, Naruto had been as good as dead. This young shinobi, who had always been so full of life, so full of laughter; had lain immobile on the ground without any trace of life in him whatsoever, and it had filled him with a fear that he had not felt in a long time.

The morbid sight would forever be engraved into the forefront of his mind and then be violently pushed back into the darkest recesses he could find. He did not want to remember how Naruto had looked so broken and defeated. How his face had begun to grow pale as death slowly crept upon him.

_Hinata screamed in terror, thick tears pouring steadily from her pale eyes once more. She shook in desperation, her small hands pounding away furiously on Naruto's chest, trying to at least keep the blood pumping, trying to kick-start his heart into beating once again._

_The medics that had been seeing to the handful of survivors quickly finished and went to tend to him, the green glow of light filled the clearing as they put every last effort into saving his life. They had been at it for five minutes with no signs of improvement and all Kakashi and the rest of his platoon could do was watch as the medics poured everything they had into their hero. Into the man they believed would become Hokage._

_One by one, their chakras had begun to run low and the once intangible green glow that filled the air soon began to flicker out of existence. It wasn't until the last pair of glowing hands finally faded did Kakashi begin to feel his unshakable faith in his student begin to waver._

_They all stood in silence; the cool breeze did nothing to subdue Hinata's gasps for air as one of her fellow teammates kept her from rushing out and heading over to the blond on the ground._

"_Let me go! Let me go! I'm not going to leave him. I'm not leaving his side! Let me _go_!"_

_In an effort to calm down his subordinate, Kakashi turned to her wearily, feeling at least a dozen years older than his age. He lifted his headband, fully intending to use the Sharingan in order to subdue her if need be when the smallest spark of chakra caught his attention. He saw that Hinata, too, had stopped fighting as she looked over the tall shinobi's shoulder to Naruto's still form._

_It was the tiniest spark, but it was _there.

_And then it began to grow, doubling itself, and then tripling, inside of Naruto's being. The surge of his chakra had Kakashi's hair stand on end as he felt the Kyuubi stirring from within Naruto as well. It grew, and grew, and continued to grow until the build-up was nearly impossible to contain and the air around them quite literally exploded as the two chakras released themselves from the confines of his body. Kakashi braced himself, ready in case the demon had somehow survived, when suddenly the maelstrom of chakras began to rush into him once more and he let out a breath as his back arched off the ground. His blue eyes were wide and took in the world for one brief moment before closing slowly once more and remaining that way._

_Everyone rushed over immediately, Kakashi and Hinata reaching him first. With an accurate hand, Kakashi placed his fingertips over Naruto's pulse point, once again finding the strong rhythm of his heart as it beat steadily once again._

_Without another word, Kakashi immediately took the blond in his arms and together, the entire platoon made their way towards their new camp._

For the next two days, Naruto showed no sign of worsening or improving. He merely laid there, his face contorted into that of peaceful relaxation. The medics came by every hour to check on his status, but it remained the same. He was alright, there were no more injuries having been healed by four medics at a time, and there were no signs that indicated that he was in any serious condition.

Kakashi took another deep breath, a gloved hand instinctively reaching for the teal book in his kunai pouch when he stopped suddenly. He had caught it from the corner of his eye but now that he was paying his full attention, it was impossible to miss. A sweeping glance over Naruto for a brief moment would not alert anyone to a difference in his demeanor, but having been this young man's sensei for the past six years, it was impossible to overlook something that was so completely him.

There, without a doubt, was a glistening string of saliva leaking out from the corner of his mouth. Though disgusting as it was (and slightly worrisome that Naruto had never been able to outgrow his drooling habit), it was all Kakashi needed to put his demons to rest and continue the day with a clear state of mind.

Naruto would be fine. Of that, Kakashi could now be sure of.

* * *

The first thing Sakura noticed when the first waves of consciousness crashed onto her were the four chakra signatures in the cave. She paused warily, her own chakra spiking slightly instead of keeping the regular flow she was so well at holding now. Her sluggish actions had not gone unnoticed because the very second her chakra shifted, someone was on her in an instant, roughly grabbing her by the shoulders as she snapped her eyes fully open instead of peering through her lashes.

She looked towards her assailant only to have a shock of white hair come into view. Suigetsu gave her a slightly apologetic smile.

"Sorry kid, it's nothing personal." he said as he picked her up easily and took her towards the rest of his teammates that were sitting around the open fire.

He dropped her onto the ground before them and without another word went to go sit on Juugo's right in case the large man decided to go further out of his way within the next few moments. Sasuke stood and made his way towards her, making Sakura tense as she kept her gaze fixed on his feet and hands. She was not stupid and she would make sure that he couldn't get one over on her with the Sharingan again.

"Look at me." He ordered.

Sakura set her chin defiantly as she kept her gaze glued to his movements. She was unprepared, however, when his hand sped forward so quickly she was barely able to follow it and grabbed hold of her jaw tightly as he tilted her head up. "I won't repeat myself." he warned as his grip on her tightened dangerously.

It was with great surprise at his touch and understandable trepidation that she finally met his dark gaze with her own.

"Drop it."

Her eyes shifted over to the side in resistance and immediately his grip on her grew painful.

"Do not test my patience. Drop the henge now." he ordered.

"No." she replied, her voice slightly hoarse.

His eyes narrowed dangerously at her words, and without any warning whatsoever, Sakura felt a sudden surge of his malicious chakra force itself into her and disrupt her steady flow. A breath escaped her at the intrusion and the effects of the henge she had been so used to keeping were gone in an instant. Pink tresses cascaded over her shoulders as dark eyes lightened to jade. The slight slack in her binds provided for the tiny limbs she had used now dug painfully into her skin as her body returned to its original form.

The moment her body returned to normal, Sasuke's grip tightened with bruising force before he thrust her head back against the wall. His chakra spiked dangerously as his raised the fingertips of his free hand that were alight with lightning chakra. As his hand flew towards her, Sakura thrust her bound hands towards him with a small surge of her own chakra and successfully connected with his abdomen. He was knocked back by several feet and landed in a crouch, dark eyes narrowed dangerously as Suigetsu was upon her in the very next second. The glint of metal shone for a brief moment and before she could move, Sakura was once again pinned against the wall as the edge of the white-haired man's blade curved around her neck.

"Now, I don't know who you are or what you might've done to make Sasuke want to kill you, but I wouldn't move if I were you. There's a reason why this type of blade is called a 'throat cleaver' and if you don't stop I'm going to have to give you a first-hand experience and we wouldn't any pretty heads rolling today, would we?" he asked, his arms tense as he held up the blade parallel to her exposed throat, ready to press forward and behead at first chance.

"I don't see how that would make any difference to you." Sakura snapped, unbidden fury laced in her tone as she stared back icily. Who cared about what she did now? There was no chance for her to escape them alive and despite any wishful thinking; as long as Danzou remained Hokage Konoha could not be her home.

"If you're willing to defile a grave, then what sort of moral code would force you to stay your hand when it comes to killing me on the spot?"

A dark chuckle escaped him as his blade shifted, biting into her neck. "So you know who this belongs to, then? Do you also know that before the owner of this sword abandoned Mist, _I _was training to become its next wielder? You can't steal what was meant to be yours."

"Suigetsu enough." called Sasuke, his Sharingan activated as he watched his former pink-haired teammate. He fought the urge to rest a hand atop the surprisingly tender spot that Sakura had left him after sending him flying through the cave.

"Karin, deal with her chakra."

The redhead immediately appeared over Suigetsu's shoulder, a heavy scowl on her face as she narrowed her ruby eyes at the kunoichi before her.

"I _knew_ there was something off about you. Your signature was far too mature to belong to a kid at that age." she said as she approached, her own fingertips alight with her own chakra as she finished forming hands seals and touched them to Sakura's forehead. Sakura scowled but said nothing, choosing to show her anger through her eyes as the two kunoichis stared each other down.

A sharp pain raced through Sakura's skull then, and she was quick to slump to the ground. Suigetsu shot Juugo a hard look as he took a step forward.

"Keep away, Juugo."

"She's in pain." he said.

"So what? You've seen plenty of other people in pain; you've seen plenty of other people die. You've _killed_ other people, what is watching her get a headache going to do to you?" Karin said. "What's so different about her that you can't stand the sight of her hurting? She lied to you; she lied to all of us."

Juugo said nothing, instead looking at Sakura with an unreadable expression on his face. Sakura swallowed nervously beneath his gaze, feeling the sharp edge of Suigetsu's blade brush against the exposed column of her throat. After a long moment of their eyes meeting, Juugo looked away, his orange gaze glued to the tiny green pot of paste resting nearby.

"Enough." Sasuke said once more.

The second Sasuke's eyes met hers; the clearing suddenly fell away, leaving Sakura frozen in a never ending expanse of darkness. Gone was the rustling of leaves in the spring air, gone were Juugo's steady breaths and Karin's constant bickering with Suigetsu.

She was alone.

* * *

**A/N:** I know it might not be making much sense right now, but just give it a chapter or so. I'm excited to see what theories you guys can come up with!

xx LCF


	5. Submergence

**A/N: **I know, I know! It's been terribly long since I've updated this fic and for that I apologize to you all. In a nutshell, the past few months have been far from easy for me, so I'm glad that I still managed to find the time (however little it may have been) to at least write something. And let me tell you, this was an _agonizing_ chapter to write. Not only because my muse had decided to take a vacay without my permission, but because to be honest I was starting to lose a bit of interest in the fic.

Don't worry though! I've had a **very** good week and have seen/read/heard tons of fanart, music, fanfiction, and novels that had brought about plenty of ideas and concepts to incorporate into this. So you can safely say that this story has returned to its rightful place at the top of my list fanfic-wise.

Anyway, onto your story. Yes?

xx LCF

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. Though if I did, many unspeakable and less than honorable things would have occurred by now. Yeah, I meant _that_. ;P

* * *

**_Storm_**

Chapter 4: Submergence

* * *

Suigetsu's arms grew slack once the kunoichi's eyes became clouded. There was no point in keeping his guard up, not when Sasuke had pulled her into one of his genjutsu.

He leaned tiredly against the stone wall of the cave as a pensive frown tilted his lips at the Uchiha's unusual actions. This was not the first time they had had an outsider break ranks. In all actuality, there had been at least a handful in the past few years since the war had commenced that had tried to spy on them and gather information. Taka was constantly being hunted down by the Joint Army divisions due to being part of Akatsuki and because of their allegiance to Sasuke. But not once during all of those times had Sasuke stayed his hand or given them even the smallest chance to explain themselves. All it took was one look into his Sharingan and he would pull them into a dark abyss, never to resurface again. So why would he hold back now?

Violet eyes looked to the pink-haired kunoichi before him. She was a pretty little thing, to him at least.

At first glance she was ridiculously feminine with long pink hair and impossibly green eyes. He couldn't blame her for using a henge to hide these features, they were a dead give-away to her identity and would easily become a liability if she was targeted by an enemy. But as he studied her further, he noted that despite the overly-feminine exterior, she seemed to be quite capable of handling herself in lieu of the fact that she had been injured critically a handful of days ago by a band of ANBU.

Suigetsu shook his head; despite her petite frame and subtle curves, she was dangerous. He could see it in the developed body she had now. A lean build that was good for stealth, and a killer set of arms he was sure could punch his lights out if given the chance. She was skilled in chakra manipulation too; she had to be in order to have the control needed so that any tracker ninja or Karin and all of her skills couldn't tell that she had been using a henge.

_Speaking of the red witch_…

His eyes travelled to the flame of red hair as she took a seat by the fire. She looked much more put off than usual, which left him wondering if he wasn't the only one to take note of Sasuke's unusual behavior. A wry smirk filled his lips at the thought.

"Strange one isn't she?" he mused aloud. "I wonder what it was about her that made Sasuke feel the need to place her in a genjutsu instead of just killing her."

Karin said nothing as she threw him a dark glare before she focused her bespectacled eyes on the fire at her feet.

* * *

Green eyes opened briefly only to snap shut tightly again due to the blinding light of the sun. The sounds of waves crashing reached her ears, and Sakura was acutely aware of the damp sand she was currently laid upon. After a moment, she slowly opened her eyes once more, this time giving her pupils time to readjust themselves accordingly. Her eyes were sharp as they ran over the surrounding area, taking in every hauntingly familiar detail.

She did not expect to see Sasuke standing atop a rocky grotto about fifty meters away and overlooking the sea. He seemed relaxed; calm even, as he stood there. It was such a far cry from the person Sakura had encountered what seemed to be mere hours ago, if even that.

With a small bit of effort on her part, she managed to push herself up with shaky arms, her legs standing uneasily for a moment before regaining her sense of balance. Sakura walked to Sasuke slowly, acutely aware that she was in his dimension and despite his nonchalant composure, he was most likely scrutinizing every small move she made.

It wasn't until there were several feet of distance left between them that she stopped. They were both silent for a moment, Sasuke continuing to look out to the sea and Sakura behind him, keeping her eyes trained on his person for any sudden movement.

"What are you here for, Sakura?" he intoned evenly, his dark gaze settling on her as he turned.

He was stoic as ever, his face different but also the same. All Sakura could do was watch him for a moment and take in the changes that six years—she hardly counted their last and painfully brief encounter—had put between them. Sasuke was easily a head taller than her now, the ends of his longer hair still sticking up at odd angles, but the bangs that had once been neatly groomed to frame either side of his face now fell messily upon his forehead. The open collar of his shirt revealed the lean muscle of his torso along with a faint littering of scars.

"Nothing," she finally replied. "I'm not here for anything Sasuke. Not anymore." She refused to meet his gaze, opting instead to settle her viridian eyes on a particular scar that cut diagonally over his left clavicle.

Another tense moment of silence passed between them.

Sakura could clearly recall days where silences like this failed to exist. Days during their short time together as genin where the air would be filled with her inane chatter and Naruto's loud proclamations. Where all Kakashi ever did was sit back at the base of a tree and giggle every so often while he leafed through a familiar orange book as he had them complete grueling exercises only Sasuke could succeed.

She was so caught up in her own musings that she failed to take notice of Sasuke as he watched her intensely, his dark eyes taking in every movement she made. His hearing picked up, taking note on how her heart was a steady thrum, not a single pick-up or skip that would reveal her true intentions to him. She was telling the truth. It was after this discovery that the world began to slowly melt away; the color, sounds, and smells disappearing into nothingness.

Sakura stood still in the darkness, her body rigid with apprehension as she braced herself for whatever Sasuke had in store. There was a brief pause on her part and suddenly, the darkness around her exploded with images, memories, of the past three years of her life.

Memories of lonely nights, grief, and anguish were before her. There was anger, there was pity, and there was spite. But towards the end of it, all she felt was steadfast determination that did not waiver throughout the years of her self-imposed exile. Perhaps it could not have been done then, but as the years passed and she grew, a steady resolve took place in her heart to regain her status as a Konoha shinobi and return to her home. All she needed was a plan of action and a means to an end.

The images stopped abruptly and within the second Sasuke stood before her once again, this time an arm's length away. His gaze bore down upon her evenly, giving her no room to ponder what he was thinking.

"What?" Sakura asked.

He said nothing as the world around them slowly disappeared. Before she knew what had happened, Sakura was once again sitting against the stone wall of the cave, four pairs of eyes glued to her. Sakura in turn met Sasuke's gaze head-on, completely ignoring the other three and waiting for some explanation that she knew would never come. Not if he was still like anything she remembered him to be.

The silence was surprisingly broken by Karin's voice as she tore her red gaze from the pink-haired kunoichi and placed it on Sasuke seriously. There was no lilt to her voice, nor was there any other form of emotion. Seriousness was etched upon her features, her red brows knit together as she watched Sasuke intently.

"Sasuke," she murmured in warning before she closed her eyes and brought her hands up to focus her chakra more carefully.

"Aa." Was all he said as he stood and made his way to the exit, Juugo and Suigetsu following suit.

He paused before Sakura briefly, his blank face betraying no thought in his head. "You will remain here until I return."

Green eyes narrowed indignantly. "How about you just let me go?" she bit back.

"Hn." Was all he replied before he vanished through the curtain of water, leaving Sakura to Karin.

* * *

Whatever Sasuke and his subordinates had gone after clearly had managed to get past them. They hadn't been gone ten minutes when Sakura noticed the sudden mass of chakra signatures that appeared out of nowhere and were quickly heading in their general direction. She was unprepared when a white arm suddenly appeared out of the stone she was currently reclined against and gripped her arm tightly, a pale face and yellow eyes the next things to emerge.

Sakura wasted no time before driving the elbow from her free arm into his face. It was quite hard to do considering her hands were bound.

A pained grunt escaped the being and the hand holding her instantly let go. Before she had a second of reprieve a large mass of the chakra suddenly materialized not too far from the cave, each of the signatures identical and malevolent. Sakura grit her teeth angrily as she pulled at her restraints. Unless she managed to get a hold of her weapons pouch that was nestled at Karin's feet, there was no way she was going to be able to be free to defend herself. Just as she was going to blatantly call out the red-haired kunoichi and give her a good piece of her mind, the mass of chakra outside disappeared without a trace, and Sakura knew from experience that that sign was never a good one.

"Shit." was all she managed before they instantaneously surrounded them.

She shot up just as they lunged for her, the sound of metal whizzing through open air reached her ears before she felt the binds on her ankles gone. Disbelieving eyes landed on Karin's form as she sent another wave of kunai at the white mutations.

"Well what the hell are you standing there for?" Karin bit out harshly, narrowly evading one as it _snapped_ at her neck like a serpent.

Sakura wasted no time as she promptly jumped in the air, looping her arms under her legs easily and allowing her hands to now be situated in front of her as opposed to her back. Three of the white things came at her then and she did not hesitate in clobbering one on the temple with her brute strength, sending it crashing into the wall. Despite the fact that she didn't have her chakra at her expense did not mean that she could not pummel these atrocities without some ease. Sakura leapt as two charged her at the same time, making sure to bring down her heel on one of their heads. She knew she hit a target when she felt a sickening crack and heard the sound of bones shattering. She wasn't too far from the mouth of the cave and as she quickly tossed another white man over her shoulder, Sakura did not hesitate in running out of the cave and diving head first into the pond just on the other side.

"Yo, kunoichi!" came a loud cry and suddenly the white-haired nin from before barreled through the canopy of trees, his giant blade swinging violently as it decapitated several of the white figures that had made a bee-line towards her. He came to a stop on the water close to where she had surfaced, sharp teeth exposed in a smirk.

"So, what's my prize for saving the damsel-in-distress?"

Sakura shot him an incredulous look. "I was _not_ in distress."

Suigetsu snorted at her offended expression. "Right, that's why you're in there looking like a scared kitten while those Zetsu were just about ready to gnaw your skin off."

"I was merely taking observations seeing as this is the first time I've ever even laid eyes on one for those things!" she snapped before promptly diving under once more and made her way to the shore.

His bark of a laugh reached her ears in the water, and as she dragged herself out, his body slowly re-solidified itself as he looked at her prone form.

"You know, I like you Kitty. You've got spunk." He grinned.

Sakura opened her mouth to reply with a nasty retort when there was a sudden crash. Karin sailed through the torrent of water and landed face first into the pond and remained unmoving, Sakura took instant notice of the blood that was steadily pouring from a gash on her head and upon instinct, she leapt into the water and swam to her side while simultaneously landing a punch on one of the other Zetsu that was quickly approaching her.

Suigetsu had also made his way to her side, his large blade glinting dangerously as he swung it around the water with dangerous ease. He sliced through two more of the white figures while Sakura took care at looking at Karin's injuries.

"Get. Off. Me." She hissed as she weakly fought off Sakura's advances once she had dragged them back to shore.

"Shut your mouth." Sakura replied brusquely, her gaze clinical as she raised a hand to the gash and applied firm pressure on it to ease the steady flow of blood.

"Why are you doing this? In case you forgot we're Akatsuki, part of that terrorist group the other Nations are currently at war with. Or are you keen on becoming a traitor to them?" Karin spat.

Sakura's hands froze on the spot. She immediately seized Karin by the collar of her cloak, her grip causing her knuckles to go white as they shook with barely restrained fury.

"You know _nothing_ of me, or the things that I've seen nor the tribulations I've faced. The only reason I bothered saving your life was because you did the same for me, whether you wanted me there or not. You could have easily have turned me away when they brought me, but you didn't. Trust me, if it weren't for that fact I would _gladly_ leave you here to die."

Karin said nothing as she narrowed her red eyes in disdain.

"Hey, you two; watch it!" hollered Suigetsu as he sliced his way through another Zetsu.

Sakura turned to catch another Zetsu about to strike. She chastised herself for dropping her guard and was just about ready to give it a solid punch when Sasuke flashed before her and plunged his sword through its torso. Before she could even begin to grasp what had happened, the bindings on her wrists were cut in half and his middle and pointer finger sent a surge of his chakra into her system once more, effectively breaking the seal that Karin had placed on her.

"Make yourself useful." He remarked offhandedly as he cleanly sliced through another Zetsu in the next moment.

She stood rigidly, her shoulder in line with Sasuke's as she stood several feet from him. Already she could feel her chakra returning to her. "What are you playing at?" she inquired as she delivered a chakra-laden kick to the face at an approaching Zetsu, sending it flying before it embedded itself in a nearby tree.

Sasuke said nothing, merely shooting her a bland look as he surged an electric current through his blade and ran through them easily. He watched her from the corner of his eye, watched the fluidity of her movements as she evaded and how she struck in return. He took note of the fact that all she needed was one solid hit to be able to render them immobile if not kill them; and had watched as she repaired the large gash on Karin's head—the reason he had headed their way in the first place—in less than thirty seconds.

A malevolent smirk curved his lips then, barely discernable on his face. As he watched Sakura shatter the earth with a single axe kick from her part, he had made up his mind.

* * *

When it was all said and done all that was left was rubble, upturned trees, and the four shinobi that stood in the midst of it all.

Sakura pushed her unruly bangs away from her face as she ran a hand across her brow. It had certainly taken longer than she expected to eliminate all of them. It seemed like there was an endless supply of those monstrosities, because with every one Sakura took down; three more were soon in its place. But they managed to come out triumphant this time around and Sakura found herself coming to terms with the fact that now was probably a good a time as ever to take her leave.

Surging chakra to her legs, she wasted no time in taking off towards the east. She mentally cursed when she took note of the three signatures that were currently on her tail before they suddenly disappeared from existence. Wary, Sakura dropped down onto the ground and bolted through the trees. She wasn't as surprised as she should have been when she came face-to-face with Sasuke.

"What?" she bit out.

"You're coming with me." was all he said.

"And if I say no?" she challenged in return.

Sakura immediately heard Suigetsu and Karin simultaneously land just a few feet away from her, effectively trapping her within their triangular formation.

"There's no other option." Sasuke continued as he slowly made his way towards her.

Sasuke stopped several paces before her, and Sakura was truly able to take in just how much taller he was now. Slightly unsettled with the fact that she had to crane her neck back slightly to catch a good view of him, Sakura ignored the unsteady rhythm her heart as it pounded in her ears.

"You are going to be of use to me in the near future." Sasuke stated simply.

Green eyes narrowed viciously. "You're not letting me go because I'm suddenly useful to you?" she raged. "What about me and what _I_ want?"

"I know what it is you want, Sakura. You want to go _home_." Sasuke said harshly, his voice dripping with venom. "You want to return to that pathetic excuse for a village and be with your friends. But you know you can't do that if Danzou is still in control."

Sakura said nothing as she glared at him further_. Damn him. Damn him and his stupid red eyes_, she thought errantly. It really wasn't fair, how he could pull her under with the power of his dojutsu, how he could go through every single thought that ran through her head, and pick apart every desperate wish and desire in her heart. Her petite hands clenched tightly, the urge to knock him on his ass so fierce that it caused the muscles in her arm to slightly spasm.

"I'm going to kill Danzou. Join me, and you can go back to your village."

His statement left her oddly silent; her disbelieving eyes searched his own for any semblance of a lie. She didn't trust him, that much was clear, but she also couldn't ignore the opportunity that dangled before her. To have that option to go home, to have the opportunity come so close she could feel it…

"What's the catch?" she asked, her tone wary.

"You are going to keep me alive no matter the cost." He deadpanned.

Sakura caught her lower lip between her teeth as her brows furrowed together, her mouth set in a contemplative line. There was more to this, she was sure of it. There was more than just wanting the demise of the Hokage. But what it was exactly, Sakura didn't know. Her mind ran a mile a minute, trying to come up with some other way to regain her title as a member among Konoha's rank. But if she was telling the truth, she knew that there was really no other option, especially since the Great Nations had gone to war with Akatsuki. And as much as she hated to admit it, being near Sasuke would more than likely guarantee her to come in contact with Naruto.

_Naruto_, she thought sardonically. This entire war had been waged largely in part to protect Naruto and any other remaining jinchuuriki. If she were to inadvertently become a part of Sasuke's team, not only would she be presented with the chance to be able to go home, but could also use every opportunity presented to her to keep them from finding him. That was all it took to make up her mind.

"I accept your offer, Sasuke." She said, her eyes staring into his unflinchingly.

She would do this, she would keep Naruto safe and she would return to where she truly belonged. She would take her stand among her friends and comrades and she would support them in every way possible. Sakura just hoped with all her might that she hadn't set herself up for failure.


	6. A Matter of Convenience

**A/N:** Huzzah for updating _before_ the month is out! I'm so proud of myself. :D Also, it's the first day of Fall! I'm so happy(start of my favorite time of the year. fall/winter babies ftw)!

Haha, really though, I'm sososo happy that this chapter is out. It was surprisingly, a very easy one that quite literally poured out of me. So, in honor of the super-speedy update I want to dedicate this chapter to the lovely _Sakura's Unicorn_ for being such a sweetheart with her awesome reviews and constructive criticism. Not to mention that she's an absolute joy and never fails to make me smile when I receive a new PM. Check out her one-shots. They're seriously amazing. :D

Now, onto a bit more serious news. I'm currently in search for a beta to help deal with grammar/spelling errors. I have little to no free-time to search for one due to a very hectic schedule but I'm determined to make this fic the best it can be! So, if you or anyone you know might be interested please feel free to PM me. Suggestions are most welcome too!

Now, enjoy the Sakura/Taka interaction.

xx LCF

P.S. Sakura can be bad-ass if I want her to be. Besides, she's got a point to make. No complaints, because idgaf. :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, man. So stop lurkin' outside my window before I call the cops. (- failed attempt at a witty disclaimer)

* * *

_**Storm**_

Chapter 5: A Matter of Convenience

* * *

It was dark when the four cloaked figures came to halt. They stood atop the edge of a cliff and peered into the chasm below. It was a long way down and the ground was barely discernable through the thick canopy of trees. The only open area for miles was the one directly beneath them.

"Karin, which way." Sasuke asked, red eyes scanning the area below. Most likely for the camp Juugo had been instructed to set up.

"He's at eight 'o' clock, two kilometers from here." She replied as she opened her eyes and lowered her hands from the seal.

Sakura had to admit that despite her dislike for the redhead, her abilities as a sensor were quite phenomenal. She still hadn't managed to locate Juugo's chakra signature. By the looks for the others, she wasn't the only one.

Sasuke merely nodded before he proceeded to walk over the edge of the cliff with Suigetsu quickly following. A _pop _filled the air before a giant shadow shot up to the sky. In the moonlight, Sakura took note of the giant hawk as it swooped down with Sasuke standing on its back. While it seemed that Suigetsu was content with walking his way down the side of the cliff, Karin apparently thought it too much trouble. She promptly turned on her heel and walked over to where Sasuke's hawk had landed before promptly climbing onto its back. Sakura watched the scene with a slight smirk on her face before she caught sight of Sasuke's gaze. He inclined his head slightly as if he were extending an invitation to her as well.

Scowling, Sakura promptly walked over the edge of the cliff and allowed herself to freefall. She was not afraid of heights and loved the undeniable rush of adrenaline that surged in her veins. The speed of the dive pushed her hood back, allowing pink strands to billow out behind her. As the ground approached at an alarming speed, Sakura assumed a diving position and began to gather chakra to her arms. The moment her hands touched the ground, she used her momentum to roll forward into a crouch.

She heard an appreciative whistle as she stood and turned to see Suigetsu jumping down the last ten feet of the cliff.

"That was pretty awesome, Kitten. You sure got balls, don't you?" He grinned.

Sakura raised a pink brow in defiance. "I'll admit that it was one of my more risqué moves of the night." Suigetsu let out a bark of a laugh before Karin and Sasuke suddenly touched down several meters from them, the hawk nowhere in sight.

"I didn't want to seem incapable of getting down by myself." Sakura continued as she eyed the young Uchiha.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Karin snapped as she approached them.

"Whatever you want it to." Sakura threw over her shoulder, already making her way through the underbrush in the direction Karin had previously pointed out. Another appreciative laugh could be heard before Suigetsu muttered something unintelligible.

Sakura didn't bother staying long enough to know.

"Quite a spitfire, isn't she?" Suigetsu remarked offhandedly, his violet eyes trained on the pink-haired girl as she disappeared into the woods.

"I don't see what's so special." Karin bit out, livid. There something very close to jealousy mixed in her tone as she marched over and planted herself firmly at Sasuke's side.

Sasuke said nothing as he silently followed the medic, his own gaze boring into the back of Sakura's head. He ignored the sudden grin that the former Mist-nin threw at him before he followed his lead along with Karin's angry huffs.

* * *

About ten minutes into her walk, Sakura caught the faint scent of smoke and cooking meat. Licking her dry lips, she crept further into the forest. It was completely dark save for spots in the canopy overhead where the moonlight would pour in. She heard the others making their way behind her, Suigetsu's rough voice filling the night air with obscenities whenever he tripped over the protruding roots.

Biting back the urge chuckle at his expense, Sakura pressed onward and after another minute or so broke through the dense brush and into a cramped clearing. The first thing she saw was Juugo's large form hovering over the fire, his eyes snapped over at her intrusion, but remained by their cooking meal. The warm light of the fire washed over her and the smell of skewered fish assaulted her nose. Her stomach growled loudly and the small twitch to Juugo's lips was more than enough to send her into a small bout of mortification.

She gathered what little dignity she could as she made her way over to the giant. "That smells fantastic."

"Here," he said as he handed her a fish. "They should be ready now."

Sakura gave a small smile of thanks before taking a bite just as Suigetsu stumbled in, a fuming Karin behind him.

"You're so fucking stupid!" she snarled before she punched him violently, his head splattering on the ground. Sakura put her fish down on the pseudo-plate she had made for herself at her sudden loss of appetite.

"Aw, now look what you've done Red. You've made Kitten lose her appetite and she hasn't eaten a thing all day." Suigetsu quipped, his reformed head reattaching itself to his neck and shoulders. He leered at Sakura, pointed teeth gleaming in the firelight as he snickered at Karin's angry sputters.

"Does it look like I care?" the kunoichi seethed.

"Suigetsu, Karin; that's enough." Sasuke drawled as he walked into the clearing, effectively ending their argument. He inclined his head slightly to Juugo as he walked over to the open fire and came to a stop where Sakura was seated.

"Is there something you need?" Sakura drawled as her eyes met his.

"You will eat to keep up your strength. If you're not strong, then you have no purpose. And I don't keep things that have no purpose." He said, his intense stare forcing the hairs on the back of her arms to stand on end.

A scowl made its way onto Sakura's face, clearly displeased with the order. But it was more so for letting his countenance affect her the way it did. She hadn't seen him in over three years; trying to survive every day of her life was strenuous and mind jarring enough, she didn't need to add the extra emotional baggage that thinking of him would bring. But she did, far more than she was willing to admit and he had seen it, in her memories. The knowledge made the already angry flush on her face grow hotter with embarrassment.

However when she _had_ thought of him, most of the time she was either angry or extremely upset. There were hardly any deep romantic feelings, though that was mostly because she was too worried about her survival for the longest time.

It did little to appease her flaming cheeks.

The fact of the matter was that whether she wanted to admit it or not, Sasuke still meant a great deal to her. The question was, just how much in the light of events that had passed? Did she still care about him the way she had before all of this happened, after she had heard of his infamous reputation. She wasn't sure. There were too many things left unseen, and despite the small twelve-year-old part of her that was undeniably happy to be at his side once more; she couldn't ignore the unease that settled in her stomach every time she so much as looked at him. He was so different, but also hauntingly familiar.

Shaking her head, Sakura looked over to where Sasuke sat eating his meal quietly before turning to watch the other members of Taka.

Suigetsu and Karin had started up on another fight while Juugo tried to placate them. However, the fight quickly turned physical as Karin threw a punch that Suigetsu evaded. He exploited her unbalanced position as he took hold of her extended arm and twisted it to the small of her back, his forearm coming around and crushing her windpipe as he held her steadfast. The redhead snarled, kicking wildly as she fought to free herself.

Sakura wondered when Sasuke was going to be forced to step in, but before she could so much as glance at him a sinister cackle suddenly erupted from Juugo. Only he didn't look like himself, his skin was covered in rough-looking skin, his hair had grown exponentially, and his eyes burned yellow in the firelight. The undeniable thirst for blood was evident in his aura and his chakra was suddenly a chaotic mass. He let out another piercing laugh before he lunged for the tussling pair.

"Shit!" Suigetsu swore, shoving Karin away from him as he reached for the swords strapped to his back.

Before he could so much as swing, Juugo's large arm successfully connected with his chest and knocked him back. His yellow eyes trained on the redhead on the ground.

"_You're it for today!_" he growled, his arm morphing into a giant mallet. He brought it down with incredible speed and barely missed Karin as she rolled out of his line of fire.

The kunoichi rolled off to the side once more before she shot to her feet and ran towards where Sakura and Sasuke sat. Juugo was hot on her heels, his mallet-arm brought up as he prepared to swing once more. Sakura watched as Sasuke reached to unsheath his blade and shot forward immediately.

"Don't!" the cry erupted from her throat as her gloved hands caught Juugo's onslaught.

He snarled as he used his momentum to drive himself forward. Gritting her teeth, Sakura locked into her stance and surged chakra to her arms and legs, determined to keep him immobile. The boost made it easy for her to overpower him and soon both were at a stand-still. Sweat rolled down her temple, her arms trembling with exertion as she felt Sasuke approach. She chanced a glance at him to find his Sharingan spinning wildly into Juugo's eyes. It didn't take long before the man suddenly slumped against her hold. She was surprised to see the scales glow brightly as they receded, the eerie glow pulling at memories of the raven-haired man beside her; memories that were little more than six years old. Once he was back to his normal self, Sakura let go of his wrists and he immediately fell to his knees. Concern washed over her as he clutched his hair wildly, his eyes clenched shut.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I'm sorry." He chanted.

"Juugo, I—" she started, her hand resting on his back as she rubbed soothing circles into his back. To think that just moments ago, the broken man before her had been so determined to kill Karin and completely unrecognizable.

"Leave him." Sasuke said tonelessly as a hand shot out and wrapped around her upper arm in a vice.

"Sasuke, he needs—"

"I said to leave him, now come with me." He repeated before he nodded to Suigetsu to attend to the large man.

Sasuke spared no time as he hauled her towards the forest, with her stumbling behind him the entire way through. He had yet to relinquish his hold on her until they reached a tiny clearing that that was several meters away from camp and well out of earshot and prying eyes. They stood in complete darkness.

"What the hell was that for?" Sakura bit out as she wrenched her arm out of his grasp. His silhouette was barely discernable through the shadows the canopy made.

"You will not interfere with Juugo when he's in the middle of his transformation. He is an entirely different person from the one you know, and he will not hesitate to kill you should you get in his way."

"Are you serious? He needs help! Look at him; did you see the turmoil he was in just now? Did you see just how frail his psych was when he returned to normal?" she fired back. "He's unstable which is—"

"Why you will keep your distance should he get overcome by his urge again. He has nearly killed us many times over in the past three years we have formed Taka, we know how to handle him. Do not meddle or I will remind you of your place." Sasuke drawled, his red eyes watching her raptly. He was fully aware that she couldn't see him as well as he her, but it didn't stop him from trying to make his point.

"And what place is that, exactly?" she seethed, fury burning in her eyes and laced in her tone.

"Whatever history we had is now gone, the bonds that were once forged are severed. Team Seven is no more, and I will not hesitate to kill you should push come to shove." The blade of his chokutō suddenly bit into the soft skin of her neck. He watched raptly as a trickle of blood escaped her, running thickly down the exposed column of her neck. "You are nothing more than a matter of convenience now. Do not test my patience, for you'll find it to be very shortcoming."

He removed the blade from her neck and watched as green chakra instantly healed the nick he had caused. Neither said anything as he turned away from her and started his walk back to the campsite.

"I hope you remember your words when the time comes for me to heal you." She called out, making him pause in his step. He looked over his shoulder to see that she hadn't moved an inch. "Because when that time comes, your life will be in _my_ hands."

Sasuke was upon her in an instant. "Is that a threat, Sakura?" he all but snarled. His Sharingan spun dangerously and brought her image forth from the darkness.

"Yes." She bit out, her throat contracting painfully beneath his iron grip.

Sasuke sneered before her released her, allowing her to crumple in a heap. He turned on his heel and walked back without looking back. His mind was a chaotic mess as he processed what had just occurred. How the Sakura that once was became the Sakura before him, he would never know. No amount of insight would fully explain the reasons she did what she did. However, he could not squash down the irritation at the knowledge that she was no longer the same simple girl who would go to great lengths to appease him. No, the young woman before him now fought him at every turn despite the fact that she had conceded to his request to unite their forces. She was also far more perceptible than he had given her credit for. Trying to solve a puzzle before she even knew what the picture was and completely unaware that there were several pieces missing.

This new Haruno Sakura was going to become quite the problem. He could already feel it.

* * *

Sakura decidedly ignored Sasuke for the rest of the night. After their impromptu meeting, the pink-haired kunoichi had purposely walked back to camp and made a bee-line towards Juugo. She placated the older man and was pleasantly surprised when he had allowed her to examine him. She had done a brief psych evaluation, nothing too probing, but enough for her to gather bits and pieces of knowledge in regards to how his mind worked. Later on as she began the physical evaluation, she was surprised to find a chemical imbalance in his brain.

He had spoken with her the entire time she worked, answering any questions she had in regards to his problem. After a good hour of her chakra probing about, she had proceeded to write down all her findings in a small journal she kept within her medic pouch. Sakura would have to find the time to analyze the information, but for the time being she was only able to comfort the man.

"I'm very sorry for what I did." Juugo mumbled quietly once she put the journal away.

Sakura gave him a comforting smile, her hand resting on his knee. "Don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault and it's not like you can control it. I promise I'll look into when I've got the time and try to see if I can find anything in regards to your particular chemical imbalance. If it turns out to be one, I'm sure I can whip up something to help suppress the urges or eliminate them completely."

"No, I don't want to inconvenience you. You are here with Sasuke as a united front; I don't want you to stray from whatever goals you may have."

"Don't worry about him," she insisted, frowning at his words. "What I do on my own free time is none of his concern. And besides, I _want_ to help you Juugo. You're a very gentle soul; even a blind man can see how much this makes you suffer. Put a little faith in me." She teased, gently bumping his side.

"Thank you, Sakura-san." He smiled shyly, returning the gentle bump.

A grin split her face then. "Don't mention it. Let's get some rest now, okay?"

* * *

They woke early the following morning, the sky was a lightening indigo and the moon was still very visible.

Sakura stretched within the confines of her sleeping bag, a muffled yawn escaping her as her arms reached skywards. Her fingers unexpectedly skimmed warm cloth and her eyes shot open, a frown marring her face when she saw Suigetsu grinning toothily at her.

"How about you stretch for me one more time, Kitten? I wouldn't mind seeing your arch your back that way again." He smirked.

Sakura threw him a disapproving frown as she clambered out of the nylon encasement and promptly rolled it up before reattaching it to the straps of her travel bag. She pushed past him to see Juugo already awake and sitting on one of the boulders she had used as a chair the night before.

"Don't be that way Kitten," Suigetsu mock-pouted, "I don't want Karin to be the only girl I have to come in contact with. Not when there clearly is a much more appealing option from the fairer sex."

"My name is Sakura not Kitten, and flattery will get you nowhere." She bit back; watching as Suigetsu dropped his hurt act and sauntered over to her.

"Alright, so you're not easily charmed then. Good to see a female that's actually able to look past a devilishly handsome face and have the ability to take a joke." She snorted at this. "Then again, you could just have horrible taste."

"My taste in men is _fine_ thank you very much. But I will say that there were a few instances where it was very questionable." She replied; her eyes unconsciously landed on Sasuke's standing form. She looked away before Suigetsu could notice.

"What do you want, Suigetsu?" she prompted.

"Oh there are lots of things I want, _Sakura_." He leered. "Perhaps you should rephrase your question before I turn it into something I'm sure you'd gladly punch me for."

She rolled her eyes when he suddenly grinned. "Had you going there for a second, didn't I? But really, I don't want to have to talk to _her_." He continued.

"Then just don't talk to her. Problem solved, simple as that."

"But then it gets boring. Juugo is always talking to his animal friends and Sasuke is practically a mute save for the few grunts he gives out on occassion. Karin is the only form of entertainment I get around here, until she pisses me off. Then I just feel like slapping her around."

"I see," Sakura said slowly. He was far cruder than what she was used to, and definitely a lot more bloodthirsty, but his semblance to Naruto was uncanny in regards to his easy-going personality. In all actuality the volatile acquaintanceship he shared with Karin was very similar to the one that Naruto and she had once shared. Only theirs was spurred on by a severe mutual dislike instead of the irritation that once ran through her at Naruto's stupid antics.

Sakura sighed as she trudged past him and over to see Juugo with a falcon nestled on his arm. He greeted her with a shy smile she was quick to return. She stood before him, her eyes resting on the large bird.

"He's beautiful," she breathed as the bird cocked its head in her direction and stared at her with piercing yellow eyes.

Juugo nodded in agreement. "He's been scouting the area since the time I woke up and let me know about what's going on in the forest. It's how I figured that this was a safe place to rest. There are no Zetsu and none of the armies are within hundreds of kilometers from here. We are currently in a safe-zone."

A pensive frown curled her lip as she thought about his words. If they were supposed to be on the same side, then why were they taking so much effort to keep from being detected? And why had a swarm attacked them back at the cave? There was something very peculiar going on if Sasuke wanted to avoid those white monstrosities that apparently had reason to attack them. She was jarred out of her thoughts when Sasuke walked over to where they stood and spoke up.

"We leave in two minutes." He said as he watched Sakura intently.

The pinkette pointedly ignored him as she abruptly walked over to her belongings and began strapping them on quickly. She was still incredibly angry him, but she was also mad at herself for exploding the way she did. She had threatened him, knowing that if it ever came down to it, he would wipe the floor with her easily. But she had also meant every word she said, and she would not allow herself to be taken as a simpering fool that would be at his beck and call. She had accepted his offer for a chance to return to her home and to keep all of those she loved safe. There was no going back now, even if she wanted to. Throwing her cloak over her petite shoulders, she convened with the other members of Taka.

They were gone long before dawn's first light.

* * *

**A/N:** A cyber-cookie to those who can spot the line that derived from a scene from _Sucker Punch_. Epic movie. Nazi zombies, dragons, hot girls wielding guns, and tons of action. What more could you ask for?


	7. Half Truths

Firstly, I'm _so sorry_ for how long it took me to get this out to you all. Things are busy, but I'm trying my best to get as much writing in as possible. In case some of you haven't checked out my author's page, I am going to be/have been on a temporary hiatus for quite some time now. This is mostly because things are getting far too hectic in my life that writing has become very little and very scarce to me. Not to worry though, I will still be working on both _Storm_ and _Vestige_ and most likely will continue to post chapters, but they will be few and most likely far in between. We'll see though, I've been struck with inspiration and as of late, it's been near impossible to separate me from my laptop during any free time I've managed to get. Fingers crossed!

Also, thanks for all of the wonderful and great reviews! I'm glad that you guys enjoyed the last chapter so much. A special shout out to _Star1014_ and _mnalfred _for guessing the correct line from the last chapter. You guys were spot on with Madame Gorski's line from _Sucker Punch_. It's definitely one of my favorite lines in the entire movie. Here are your cyber-cookies. :3

xx LCF

* * *

**_Storm _**

Half-Truths**_  
_**

* * *

They had walked into a ghost town.

There was nothing but ruins. Each structure was either burned to the ground or completely in ruins. The village as nothing more than a pile of ashes and stones. Carts and stalls were overturned; making the rotting food that littered the ground lure out the vermin and bring the flies in swarms. Sakura frowned as she stepped away from Taka and walked further, her eyes searching for any casualties. She felt her stomach drop once she spotted a carcass, and nearly cringed when she started to see more. Once she caught sight of the first, the rest were instantly recognizable.

She knelt beside the first body, ignoring the grief that bubbled up in her chest to examine the remains properly.

"They did this…those white monstrosities." she muttered as she stood over a half-mutilated woman that appeared to be in her late thirties. "They ravaged this entire village and left it bare. These people weren't ninjas, they were civilians and they didn't even stand a chance against those white freaks!"

"This is what happens in war, Kitten. There are always casualties." Suigetsu muttered, a disgruntled look on his face as he cleared the path of dead bodies and vermin but remained relatively nonplussed.

"Does this not bother you at all?" She snapped as she walked back over to the rest of Taka. Fury burned in her eyes as she stared Suigetsu down. She did not miss the stares she garnered from the remaining three-quarters of the group.

"Kitten, I'm ex-Mist. There's hardly anything that phases me anymore." He muttered, pushing past her and walking further into town.

Sakura cast his back an unbelieving look. He may have been a former Mist-nin, but to think that he was so desensitized to all of the havoc that surrounded him; to think that _all_ of them were as nonplussed as they appeared caused her tiny amount of faith in their humanity to die. Green eyes turned to the rest of them, scrutinizing in their intensity. Karin had a petulant look on her face, nose upturned as she slowly started to make her way forward. Ruby eyes caught with green and the sneer intensified.

"You really are pathetic if you can't cope with the fact that things like this are bound to happen." She said waspishly before walking away and keeping to the center of the cleared path.

Gloved hands clenched angrily, but Sakura said nothing. She didn't even spare a glance at Sasuke as he passed, her eyes were fixated on the massacre before her. There was suddenly a large hand on her shoulder that pulled her out of her stupor and Sakura turned to see Juugo looking at her grimly.

"They did not deserve this, Sakura-san."

"No, they didn't." she agreed before stalking off angrily, a plan already formulating in her head. Someone had to lay these people to rest.

* * *

Unsurprisingly, aside from Juugo no one was willing to participate in Sakura's act of kindness. Karin immediately dismissed the notion with a petulant glare and a sneer. Suigetsu had only given them a tight grin before turning away and walking into the woods. And Sasuke merely shot them a bland expression before stating that they would set up camp in the town's outskirts.

And that was how Sakura found herself transporting linen-wrapped bodies to the large harvested fields just east of the village. It was sad to see that their crop was doing so well and that these people who could have had a prosperous year were reduced to nothing more but unrecognizable cadavers. It helped put things further into perspective for her. If Madara had managed to do this even while there was still a chance that they could overtake him, what would happen should he actually win the war?

Sakura tried her best not to think about that.

"Sakura-san, this should be the last one." Juugo said, bringing over a small shrouded figure and setting it down gently.

"Thank you, Juugo. It means a lot." She muttered, her eyes taking in just how many bodies they had compiled. There were so many. _Too_ many.

The sun dipped low in the sky now and Sakura knew that they had to move quickly to reduce the chances of being discovered. The bodies were a little over two weeks old, but neither wanted to gamble with the chance of dealing with a stray Zetsu or a scout.

"These Zetsu, what are they exactly?" she asked once they were fully prepared for the fire.

"I'm not entirely sure," Juugo said. "I know that they are clones from an original member of Akatsuki, Zetsu, the thing—person— that was encased in a plant. He was split between white and black but had the ability to split himself apart and get out of the plant. He also transports very quickly and seems to lurk everywhere and nowhere at the same time."

Sakura frowned slightly. "It seems like you have had several encounters with him; both with the original and the clones."

"Both have given us much trouble, even before the war." Was Juugo's only reply before he stood up, "It's beginning to get dark; we should hurry if we don't want to be seen."

Sakura nodded in agreement. She walked over to the large boulder they had moved there and set down the incense that she had picked up in one of the small convenience stores where they had found the shrouds. Once the incense began burning, Sakura began running through the seals of a basic fire jutsu. As she brought her hand to her mouth, she released the flames and watched them easily catch on the linen. It wasn't long before the corpses were alight.

She bowed her head and gave theses men, women, and children a moment of silence and paid her respects.

_I am so sorry that this happened to you._

As she opened her eyes, she saw Juugo with his head bowed as well, giving his condolences. There was slight movement in the forest behind him that caught her attention, her hand instinctively hovered over her kunai holster, when Suigetsu suddenly walked out followed shortly by Karin and lastly Sasuke. The three made no move to get closer but remained nonetheless.

No one said anything; they all just stood and watched the fire burn.

* * *

They were packed and ready to move on the following morning, only pausing long enough to make a quick run into the village to gather what supplies would be needed. Sakura walked down the trodden path alongside Suigetsu who was keeping himself busy by whistling several notes and relaxing with his arms folded behind his head. She watched him from the corner of her eyes, trying to figure out how this devil-may-care attitude morphed into someone who paid respects to the dead. Perhaps it was all a façade on his part.

"You know Kitten, if you keep glancing at me as frequently as you have been in the past few minutes, I'll have to assume the worst. And by worst I mean the best, if you catch my drift."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "It's nothing; I just can't get over what happened last night."

"What _did_ happen last night?" he asked wryly, a suggestive leer on his face.

Sakura shot him a bland look. "I'm talking about the fire."

"Ah yes, you and Juugo's stunt. You always have to be the good guy, don't you?" Suigetsu inquired.

"I suppose I do," Sakura confirmed. "But that doesn't answer my question."

Suigetsu let out a small sigh. "Look Kitten, just because we're not good guys doesn't mean we're all _that_ bad. Assholes sure, inconsiderate definitely, but I'd think that we haven't stooped as low as to spit on innocent people's corpses."

"What?" he inquired once he caught sight of Sakura's slight smirk. "What?"

"You know, I don't think you're as much of a heartless killer as you try to make yourself seem."

The former Mist-nin scoffed at her statement. "Trust me Kitten, if you'd had met me three years ago, one of us would surely be dead. I wasn't as nice to pretty girls as I am today."

Sakura still had her doubts but decided to drop the subject. As they walked further into the village, Suigetsu shot a cheeky grin over his shoulder. "After some time, Juugo tends to rub off on you. Even if just a little."

The pink-haired kunoichi grinned slightly at his response but said nothing after that. Together, they along with the rest of Taka made their way throughout the village, gathering what supplies would be of use to them in the coming weeks.

Sakura walked about and found their infirmary easily. She made her way around the tiny clinic with caution, her eyes examining everything and looking for anything else she could use. There were soothing balms which would do well when healing with chakra wasn't absolutely necessary along with some mild pain medication, bandages, and antiseptics. It wasn't what she was used to, but it was the best she was able to get in the longest time. Once she was sure that there was nothing else that could be of use to her in the foreseeable future, Sakura secured her medical pouch and made her way back to the others.

As she made her way to the meeting point, there was a flare of unfamiliar chakra that caught her attention. She wasn't the only one who had noticed because in the next second, both Sasuke and Suigetsu blew past her and after the source of the flare.

"What's going on?" she asked Karin once she and Juugo caught up to her.

The redhead frowned before replying, "We were being watched, I suppose that your little stunt from last night was what drew them here."

"Is it one of those Zetsu?" She inquired.

"No," the redhead replied hotly. "For one they don't tend to go off on their own. They usually keep in clusters like the one that attacked us in the cave. Also, they're not afraid to engage in combat. They have no feeling of fear or remorse, they only know to kill and feed."

"So that only leaves two viable options. Either a rogue—"

"—or a scout." Sakura finished, bolting after them.

* * *

By the time Sakura, Juugo, and Karin could catch up with Sasuke and Suigetsu, they were already too late. Both men stood before a collapsed figure that bore the white mask of ANBU. Sakura made her way closer to them, instantly recognizing the symbols as that of Root division.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Bloody coward committed suicide is what happened." Suigetsu huffed.

"Not surprising, given that he's Root. He probably had classified information that would endanger either the Allied Forces or Danzou. The way they're trained, they would gladly die before having such information taken from them." Sakura said. "We'd have to examine the remains in order to see where he's been and what exactly he was doing.

"What the hell would we learn? If Danzou was thorough enough to train them to kill themselves in order to withhold information, what's to say that he wasn't as thorough about their secrets." Karin pointed out.

"We aren't trying to divulge their secrets of their jutsu; what we're trying to do is see what nature has to offer. I can run an autopsy on him and to figure out a specific cause of death and what exactly his living situation was. If he's willing to kill himself, and this works, then there's a chance we'll be one step closer to Danzou." Sakura explained.

"Do it." Said Sasuke, his eyes boring into her own, "Karin will assist you in whatever needs to be done."

"What?" Karin shrieked. "You cannot be serious Sasuke. It's bad enough to have her along, but work with her?"

"You will do as instructed Karin, or I will have no more use of you."

This seemed to silence the red-haired female. She closed her mouth, eyes narrowing to slits as she looked to Sakura with utter disdain. The other female merely brushed her off before turning her attentions to the other two males of Taka.

"Juugo, Suigetsu, see if you can either find a suitable place to do the autopsy. Karin, go with them and set up a boundary so we can work properly and without a threat."

The kunoichi looked just about ready to burst in anger but stopped when she caught sight of Sasuke's dangerous gaze. She now knew better than to get between Sasuke and whatever he wanted to obtain, and it was the distant echo of pain from where his Chidori pierced her that she made her relent and stalk off after Juugo and Suigetsu.

_Just you wait Sakura. You'll get what's coming to you, and when you do, I'll be glad to watch you fall._

* * *

When the three of them disappeared into the forest Sakura took late notice of the fact that she was now alone with Sasuke. There was nothing more than a meager corpse between them. She chose to ignore him as best she could, instead opting to focus her concentration on gathering her chakra to begin the preservation jutsu. Her hands flew through the seals, and her left hand became encased in a purple glow. Once she was satisfied with the amount needed, Sakura then placed it upon the Root member's forehead, using her right to focus the flow of her chakra. She begrudgingly allowed her eyes to slip closed, part of her highly alert of Sasuke's presence and the other on the task at hand.

She still did not trust him. In fact since their argument in the forest she figured they had backtracked on whatever progress was made quite a ways. But it was not something she could help. She was not some servant or someone he could order about at his whim. Taka was a different story, he was the head of their team and as much as they all seemed to clash on the outside, each of the members were as devoted to him as the next, though each with varying degrees and necessities. But Sakura was not a part of Taka; he had offered her a chance to return to her home, there was a mutual benefit from a seemingly similar goal. As far as she was concerned, that made her a partner, not a teammate.

_**You know that's a lie**_. The inner workings of her mind whispered. Sakura ignored it completely.

Sakura completed the jutsu with little difficulty despite her errant mind. She relinquished her chakra and stood, ignoring the eyes that followed her movement.

"His body has been stabilized; now all we need is for the others to find a decent spot to begin."

"You have completely ceased the decomposition of his body."

Sakura turned to find Sasuke observing the cadaver, his red eyes watching what she was sure was what remained of her chakra as it halted the decomposition. She inwardly berated herself for forgetting the fact that he was able to see her jutsu. That he was able to follow her chakra and study it, learning all he needed from her jutsu to her movements.

_At the very least he doesn't have one third of the control it takes to carry out a jutsu so delicate and temperamental._ She thought, placating herself in spite of knowing that the secrets of her creation were completely laid out before him. Sakura had always been a firm believer in knowledge is power and she feared that she had just added to the arsenal of his already frightening capabilities. Because it was no matter if he did not have the control to successfully pull off her preservation technique, it did not mean that he did not pay attention to the ebb and flow nor the steady rhythm of her chakra as it navigated the man's chakra network. If the man had been alive there could have been a multitude of ways for her to take him down, and Sakura was sure that Sasuke could see the possibilities.

"It's something I had managed to assimilate during the past few years of running." She finally said. "Just because I was forced to leave did not mean that I would stop learning what I could, when I could. Though most of everything I learned from then on was through much trial and error."

"It is far more advanced than the one Orochimaru had created." Sasuke said, his red eyes still following the patter of her chakra as it maneuvered throughout the corpse.

_That_ caught her attention.

"You watched Orochimaru perform autopsies?" Sakura asked before she could stop herself.

Red eyes flickered over in her direction before returning his clinical gaze on the corpse at his feet. "He supposed that it was a good method to show me the inner workings of the human body."

Sakura frowned. Why was he telling her this? Sasuke had never been one to speak first, much less in coherent sentences that didn't include one of his grunts. She watched him aptly as he continued to assess the body, her gaze now assessing him and searching for any kind of foul play to be had. Not that she found any. Sasuke had always been good at covering himself with the best shroud of indifference.

She was prepared to grill him on what he had seen when she felt the remaining three-fourths of Taka approaching.

"There here." Was all she said.

"Aa."

* * *

It wasn't much long after their return that the group of five (or six depending on how you saw it) made their to the stone grotto that was hidden in the large foothills just on the border of Fire. How Suigetsu had manage to find it, Sakura would never know, but it was there where Sakura found herself prepping the body and handing out instructions to a less than pleased Karin. They were near the entrance of the grotto, the natural light giving them perfect light in which to work in. Once all three were ready, Sakura turned her eyes to the men of Taka.

"You either need to get out or stay out of our way. Sasuke, I'd advise you to follow our movements in case you can sense or see any hidden chakra implants we might trigger. I highly doubt that the seal on his tongue is the only thing Danzou implanted in him."

Sakura was silently astounded when he merely nodded. Her surprise only visibly reflected on Suigetsu's face as he openly gaped at the Uchiha.

"Seriously, how did you do that?" he gawked. "I don't think I've ever seen him get ordered around without some kind of rebuttal before."

"Suigetsu just shut up." Sakura hissed, she did not need Sasuke to get irritated should he opt to a) kill the former Mist-nin or b) not assist with his eyes. "Get ready Karin, we're starting."

"Humph." The kunoichi frowned as she took her place on the other side of the corpse.

Taking a breath, Sakura gathered her chakra to her right hand watching as the blue glow around it came close to her before it tapered off at the edges. She glanced at Karin, glad to see that the kunoichi was able to follow along with her instructions accordingly. She truly did have superb control given that this was her first attempt at the scalpels, though it seemed that it wasn't quite as refined as Sakura had hoped. No matter, she would play the cards she had been dealt and should matters turn sour at least she had the proficiency in using them as weapons.

"Alright, now make the incision at his shoulder and take it in about three inches deep. Now take the incision diagonally until you reach the center of the breast bone. Watch as I do." Sakura instructed, her movements steady as she showed her the matter in which to make the first incision.

Karin mimicked her movements slowly, only stopped once by Sakura when her hand came down with her wrist at an angle. "Keep your hand completely vertical otherwise the cuts will remain too shallow. If you had more precise control you'd be able to further extend the scalpel to dig deep enough, but this is the most effective way."

The redhead said nothing as she glared at the kunoichi, fixing her position as to get a better incision. She hated to admit that she was immediately able to note the difference on the pressure that was needed and not cause much strain on the body.

"Good," Sakura said once Karin's incision met with hers at the very center of the breast bone. "I'll make this incision down to the pubic bone. Make sure you have the senbon ready by the time I'm finished."

Her chakra flared once more as she made the next incision, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. She carefully dragged down her hand, making sure not to get in too deep and accidentally sever any internal organs that might be necessary. Once she got to the base of his pelvic bone, she ceased her chakra flow and looked up to Karin in anticipation. The other kunoichi handed her a senbon begrudgingly, her face twisted up in a grimace as she watched Sakura pull back the flesh.

"That is disgusting." She breathed, keeping her eyes diverted as she handed Sakura more senbon.

"Don't worry, I'm done. You're free to leave if you like." Sakura said, watching as Karin gave her a petulant look before catching sight of the open cadaver. The bespectacled girl blanched slightly before she promptly turned on her heel and walked out of the grotto, uncharacteristically silent as Suigetsu's snickers resounded in the small cave.

Sakura wasted no more time before she set to work. With a single breath, she delved her hands into the depth of his insides and started to feel around.

* * *

Karin crept through the underbrush silently, making her way southwest of the grotto where Sakura had been performing her autopsy on the fallen Root. Her nose wrinkled with disgust at the thought. How that pink-haired hussy had the stomach for that she didn't know, but it certainly didn't make her look any better. To think that she'd been so disgruntled by the sight of a man with his internal cavity exposed that she had to leave before she threatened to vomit was just ridiculous.

To make things worse it seemed that it added more to the comparative figures Sasuke wasn't even aware he was creating. A growl escaped Karin at the thought. All of this was grating on her. For the past four years she had been the only woman Sasuke had needed in his life. Of course he had never taken to her advances much less returned them, but there had been some a silver lining in the fact that he had not yet told her to cease like he did when there had been other females to try and put a move on him.

_It shouldn't be much farther now_, she thought as she made her way onto the exact spot where the chakra signature she had accidentally found blinked out. It had first caught her attention when she was well clear of the grotto and away from shouting distance from the others. It was a tiny blip, so miniscule that no one else but she would be able to take notice. Figuring that she could do some investigating, Karin had set off, silently following to where the chakra had disappeared from existence. Once she got to the location she saw that there were no signs of a camp having been set. In fact there were no signs of anything.

"I'd been so sure too." She muttered after a few moments of trying to relocate it, an impatient huff escaping her as she whirled around and proceeded to make her way back to the grotto and the others.

"Sure of what?" came a voice, and suddenly she _felt him_.

Ice shot through her veins as she watched his masked head slowly creep out of her stomach and come to stand before her.

"Madara." She whispered, her entire frame shaking.

"Now, now kunoichi. You should have known better than to come investigate all by yourself." The masked man tutted.

"I—"

He held up one gloved hand. "There is no need for explanation. But please, tell me. How is dear Sasuke and the rest of your teammates? And that pink-haired kunoichi, she's just recently been added to his ranks too hasn't she?"

Karin said nothing, her fear making her silent.

"Now that won't do." Madara chastised. He circled Karin slowly, putting her on edge. She wasn't half surprised when he suddenly took a fistful of her hair and reared her head. The redhead let out a whimper under his iron grasp.

"Kunoichi you signed your death sentence the moment you decided to follow me alone. Then again, I'm sure that the moment you recognized my chakra signature you would have bolted, wouldn't you have?"

Karin only gave a shaky nod.

"Now, you'd better tell me what dear Sasuke is planning as you and I are going to be spending quite some time together in the foreseeable future." Madara turned his attention from her, looking towards one of the trees instead.

"Zetsu," he called out. "Search for and find Sasuke's team. Make sure to play her part well." There was a sudden mass that split itself off of a tree, a perfect rendition of Karin right down to the voice.

"Yes, Madara." It said before it melded into one of the other trees.

"Come kunoichi, you and I have much to discuss."

* * *

Sakura leaned back against the rock wall with an exhausted sigh. She had been up to her elbows in blood, extracting and examining every single inch of the man. It had been a tedious job, but she was glad to have done it. The amount of information that she had gathered was astounding and the moment she caught her breath she was more than glad to share the fruits of her labor.

The pink-haired girl winced slightly as the salve she spread on her right hand stung. She had been right in having Sasuke watch out for any other chakra that may have been implanted within the man. The moment she had struck through the soft tissue of the stomach, the acid within immediately bubbled and caught part of her left hand. She had been able to do away with it and heal her burns, but there was still a slight singe that wouldn't fully go away for at least half a day. After that there had been no other incidents and she was able to recover much information quickly despite the state her hand was in.

Now that she had healed her hand, Sakura waited patiently for Sasuke and Suigetsu to return from getting rid of the body. Juugo had been charged with the task of returning Karin and soon afterwards they would all meet and see what Sakura had found. Surprisingly Suigetsu and Sasuke were the first to return.

"Where are Juugo and Karin?" Sasuke asked.

"Not here yet. Funny though, I thought they'd get here before you would. I was pretty sure Karin wouldn't have wandered off too far." Sakura replied as she stood. She took brisk strides over to the entrance of the grotto, her green eyes searching for any familiar sign of the two, and her chakra searching for any familiar signatures. She found none.

"Where could she have gone off to?" she murmured.

There was a sudden roar that filled the air and suddenly Karin was flying out of the tree-line, her figure crashing into a nearby tree. Juugo was hot on her trail, his body half morphed as he came down upon her still form.

"Juugo!" Sakura yelled, her feet pushing her forward as she tried to get between the crazed man and the unconscious redhead at his feet. Sasuke was faster.

He appeared before Juugo, successfully causing the man to stop in his tracks. He said nothing as he bore his Sharingan into his gaze, rendering the larger man back to his normal state before collapsing into the ground in pants. What he did next, Sakura was not prepared for.

Sasuke unsheathed his chokutō, his blade glinting in the light of day before he brought it down with inhumane speed and deadly precision. He slit her throat effortlessly, his blade sheathed once more by the time she had started bleeding. Sakura made her way towards them, her eyes disbelievingly on Sasuke. She was prepared to question his motive as well as pound him into the ground for needlessly killing his tracker when the redhead in question made her bite her tongue. Karin's red hair receded into her head, turning forest green in the process. Her eyes had gone from red to a faded gold and her skin and all other features and clothes melted into a white expanse of nothing.

"A Zetsu? I could have sworn that it was her chakra." Sakura muttered as she knelt before the dead creature.

"They're notorious for being able to mimic every detail about someone, right down to their chakra signature and patterns." Juugo said after he had caught his breath.

"Then how do we know if they're real or not?" Sakura asked.

"They'll usually mess up, for instance if they do not act as how the original would. I knew it wasn't the real Karin the moment she asked me how far along you'd progressed and if you had been able to manage well without her help."

A chuckle escape Suigetsu. "Yeah, that'd have some alarm bells ringing in no time."

"Ok, all of this aside. Where's the real Karin?" Sakura pressed.

"We're going to have to look for the pain in the ass." Suigetsu muttered. "If she's not dead, which I'm sure she's not, then she'd most likely been taken as captive."

Sakura frowned at his explanation. "Captive? I thought that these Zetsu were a part of your lot."

"What are you not telling me?" Sakura demanded, watching the way Suigetsu and Juugo both shot each other uneasy glances. "Would anyone care to explain to me why we're hiding from _both_ the Allied Forces and the monstrosities that are supposed to be on your side?"

"We are avoiding them because there is no other choice." Sasuke said, making her whirl around to face him. "We are being followed just as the Forces are." Sasuke continued.

"Why?" Sakura pressed.

"Taka defected from Akatsuki nearly two weeks ago."

Two weeks ago. That had been around the same time where Juugo and Suigetsu had found her wounded in the forest. Where they had taken her to the cave and kept her alive. Where they had been waiting for Sasuke.

"Why?" Sakura asked once more, her heart suddenly hammering in her chest.

Sasuke watched her intently for a moment, his dark eyes impenetrable. "Because, I am going to kill Uchiha Madara."


	8. Coalition, Pt I

**A/N:** Summer is here and school is over. It feels _so_ good to have free time. And free time means writing time, so expect a few more updates during the vacation!

Again, I'd like to thank all of the readers who reviewed the last chapter. I'm not even joking when I say that you guys were the ones that helped me finish this chapter. Every time I got stuck or wasn't able to write for days I'd just look back and just try again. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter and leave me your thoughts!

xx LCF

**Disclaimer:** I do not, in any way, shape, or form own Naruto. That is all.

* * *

_**Storm**_

Chapter 7: Coalition, Pt. I

* * *

Sakura was unable to sleep that night.

She tossed and turned in her sleeping bag for what felt like hours, plagued with a surprising sense of guilt. An unexpected one that had washed over her the moment Karin's search was called off. She knew the feeling was unwarranted—it was no secret that the two kunoichi cared very little about one another—but despite that, the guilt had clawed away at her, little by little until she was unable to sleep and remained plagued by thoughts of abandonment instead.

Because, essentially, that was exactly what they had done.

The remainder of Taka and she had looked for hours, using whatever resources were readily available in the search. Juugo had had all of the creatures in the forest on the look-out while she and Suigetsu had scoured every inch of the forest floor for any sort of indication as to where she had been taken. Sasuke had entrusted himself with aerial surveillance, but after several hours of fruitless flying, he touched down to where the three had convened and deemed it the end of their search. Sakura had been genuinely surprised to hear him call it off so quickly, especially when considering that Karin was an important factor in their search for Danzou. It made no sense, and yet she had not questioned him in the matter.

What was wrong with her, Sakura couldn't help but wonder when she followed Taka back to the grotto. Had she fallen so far that she abandoned whoever it was that needed saving, needed _help_, at the command of another?

The kunoichi took a deep breath despite her growing restlessness, careful to keep her chakra signature and heart rate regulated. She didn't need a spike from either to alert her travel-mates and wake them; ever since her merge with them there was little privacy to be had, and she quite enjoyed the moments she could get to herself, no matter how unconventional the hour. No matter how guilt-ridden the thought process could be.

_What's happened to me?_ She wondered silently, green eyes glued to the ceiling of the tavern.

She glanced towards the opening of the grotto, subconsciously searching for the uchiwa fan that was sure to greet her sight. It was not hard to find considering that the Uchiha had taken watch for the night. However, Sakura was unprepared to see the stitched emblem disappear with the body it was attached to as both merged with the shadows of the forest. Frowning, she slowly sat up from her sleeping bag and felt along for his chakra signature. It was very faint as it continued to move further and further away from camp.

Sakura gave herself little time to think as she slid on her boots and tugged on a black long sleeve top, taking care not to rouse the remaining two-fourths of Taka as she did so. She crept silently to the opening of the grotto, darting out of the cave and into the forest once she determined that there was no possibility of getting intercepted. Her chakra signature vanished as she vaulted onto the nearest tree branch and followed the direction that Sasuke had taken off towards.

Surprisingly, it didn't take as long as she expected to catch up with him, and once she did it was easy to see why. He had changed out of his wide-collared shirt, instead donning a black formfitting one that was not unlike the one she currently wore herself. It seemed that Sasuke was also headed out into the night in search for answers.

The all too familiar sound of whirring metal pierced the air and Sakura narrowly managed to avoid the incoming kunai that lodged itself in the trunk where she had once stood. Circling the area, she double-backed to avoid his barrage of attacks and was forced to deflect several with the tantō strapped to her hip.

"Show yourself," he ordered as he searched for her. She caught a glimpse of the Sharingan that penetrated the forest and knew she was in trouble when he located her suppressed chakra signature, sending another wave of projectiles towards her with deadly accuracy. Sakura bit down a curse when a shuriken grazed her arm where she had been too slow to dodge.

_Looks like there's not much of an option_, she thought sourly before she released the hold on her chakra and landed before him on the forest floor. There was a slight wariness that filled him when he caught sight of her, but Sakura was unable to dwell on the thought when he suddenly vanished, only to reappear before her with his chokutō in hand. Sakura moved on reflexes alone as she parried his wrist with the butt of her still-drawn blade, effectively shoving his strike out of its projected course. Red eyes narrowed in her direction as she spun out of range, narrowly avoiding his blade when he thrust it forward with the flick of a wrist.

"You're faster than before." He commented, keeping his red gaze glued on her as she circled around him slowly.

"But not fast enough, apparently." She replied, motioning to the large vertical slit on her shirt that exposed the mesh that covered her torso. She may have grown quick enough to avoid a direct strike, but her response to his lightning-fast speed still lacked.

Both stood still as they watched one another from their respective side of the forest floor. Sakura tensed when she saw the muscle in his arm contract slightly, coiled for the attack she was sure would come. Instead Sasuke merely sheathed his blade, causing the pink-haired kunoichi to frown in confusion. But it seemed that Sasuke had no intention of allowing her to ponder his motive as he charged forward, appearing in front of her yet again before she could so much as blink. Sakura tensed noticeably before him, readying herself for the impact that would come as he swung his heel to her temple. A gloved hand braced against her free arm blocked the approaching limb just milliseconds before the strike made contact. Her gloved fingers wrapped over his now-caught ankle before a surge of chakra allowed her to literally swing him away from her. He flipped once in the air before landing lithely, barely giving his feet so much as a second on the ground before he surged towards her again.

"Your taijutsu has also improved." He stated as he blocked a series of kicks that she was sure left his arm surprisingly tender. Sakura frowned at his unnatural behavior, chakra flaring around her fists as she dove towards him, intent on landing a punch to the sternum that would render him immobile.

Despite her improvements, however, Sasuke was still leagues beyond her level, and after several harrowing moments had managed to catch her wrists easily. Clearly displeased, Sakura pumped more chakra to her legs right then, and he narrowly avoided a sharp kick that would have left him quite incapable of reviving his clan had it connected. He tossed her a flat look before avoiding yet another kick and swept her feet from under her before she was able to catch her footing. He turned her body as she fell and shoved her face down onto the ground, pinning her forearms to the small of her back as he rested his knee across her legs.

"You fight underhandedly." He deadpanned, watching the pinkette beneath his grasp attempt to wriggle out of his fortified hold.

Sakura tossed her hair away from her face as she looked him in the eye rather pointedly. "Says the man who is in constant use of his kekkei genkai. Besides, when are shinobi fair? Now, will you get off?"

"Hn." Was his only response before he removed himself from her, allowing the kunoichi to get back to her feet in an instant. "You were supposed to be asleep." He deadpanned.

"And _you_ were supposed to be on watch." Sakura countered as she raised a pink brow.

She was challenging him he knew, but Sasuke had never been one to take the bait, and he certainly wouldn't begin now—especially not when she laid it out before him so obviously. Then again, it could have been her intention from the start. Sakura had always been notorious for sticking her nose where it didn't belong. It was a fact that hadn't changed Sasuke noted, suddenly feeling rather annoyed at her presence.

"Return to the others." Was all he said as he moved away from her and turned to resume his travel.

"You know where Karin is, don't you?" she deadpanned, cutting right to the point and effectively halting him in his steps. Bottomless pools of ebony glanced over in her direction as she walked towards him slowly. She stopped when she was several feet away but neither ceased the impromptu staring contest they held. To break contact would to admit defeat, and that was something Sakura was not about to do. She refused to let him intimidate her further, and she would be relentless in her pursuit until she made him realize it.

"Take me with you." She muttered—her voice cutting through the silent air.

It was a loaded statement, Sakura knew. The fact that it was the last thing she had asked of him before he defected from Konoha was not lost on her. It was an underhanded question and it undeniably brought up memories from long ago that had once left her feeling like her entire world had come crashing down. Sakura pursed her lips at the thought and briefly wondered if memories from that night were also running rampant through his mind.

She highly doubted it.

She was completely unprepared when his voice filled the air with his assent, leaving her standing dumbstruck for a moment as she watched his retreating figure. He paused once again and glanced over his shoulder to rest his gaze on her in an irritated manner. "If you hinder me, I will leave you."

Sakura sent him an appraising look as she made her way over to his side, still not quite believing her ears. After all, this was Sasuke they were talking about. Although she knew that he had his reasons for his concession, Sakura highly doubted that the want for her company was one of them. There was a reason he had agreed for her to come along, all she had to do now was to wait and see why. Once she had fallen into step with him, the two took to the trees and disappeared further into the night.

* * *

They had been on the search for several hours. The moon had long passed its apex, now falling westwards as it readied itself for the sun's inevitable rise. It was early in the morning, around four if Sakura was correct in her estimation. The pair had travelled in silence; Sasuke remained quiet after their initial encounter in the woods, opting only to lead the way and foil her attempts to find out how he knew where to go with a single blood-red glare. Sakura had kept her mouth shut after that in order to keep a fight from escalating, but no matter how dirty the look he threw at her, she could not dispel the thoughts that formed in her mind as she travelled alongside him.

How was it that Sasuke knew where Karin had been taken to when both Juugo and Suigetsu didn't?

She was aware of the fact that Taka would know the location of the main hideout, if not some of the strongholds where Akatsuki would possibly keep the kunoichi captive due to their three year allegiance with the organization. It had only been two weeks since their defection and Sakura doubted that Akatsuki would have had enough time to mobilize and find a new location for their headquarters. They were still at war after all and Taka was not their only adversary. With the rest of the nations after them, surely they would have had a difficult time in their search; and seeing as neither Suigetsu nor Juugo knew of any remaining bases that were still in use within their area, it was safe for Sakura to deduce that it was indeed a stronghold or hideout that only Sasuke had known about. It seemed that this was not the Uchiha's first trip apart from the group, and that fact left her teeming with more questions than answers.

Sakura was so deep in thought that she had run right past Sasuke's prone form as he stood atop the branch he had landed on. He fixed her a pointed glare as his hand shot out and took hold of her arm, halting her progress. The next few seconds were too quick for Sakura to fully comprehend.

In one moment, she was being hauled back by Sasuke's firm hold and the next he had released her in favor of cutting down a Zetsu that had suddenly appeared before them. There was suddenly a large swarm of them, enough to be a small battalion and Sakura briefly wondered how she had managed to miss _that_ in her stupor.

_Damn, I shouldn't have let myself get so caught up in my thoughts._ Sakura thought as she narrowly avoided an incoming Zetsu. She swung her foot out in an arc, successfully connecting with its pale abdomen before sending it crashing into a pair that quickly approached. Her eyes were trained on the white creatures that were before her, all the while keeping an eye out for Sasuke. She caught sight of him on the forest floor, his blade out and cutting through the large numbers that swarmed him. There had to have been at least twenty five surrounding him, and all were out for his blood.

Punching her way through another white mass, Sakura leapt down onto the dry compact earth and unsheathed her tantō in the process. The medic had managed to cut her way through to Sasuke, effectively hacking off a Zetsu's arm and rendering it immobile before it crept up behind the nukenin, and was at his side almost immediately. Ruby eyes met green while he ran his blade through yet another Zetsu, his gaze projecting what needed to be done. Understanding dawned on Sakura and the two immediately stood against one another back-to-back, creating a dual-edged offense while simultaneously becoming each other's defense. A slight wave of nostalgia washed over her, her mind flitting between the scene before them and memories of a similar situation that included a blond loudmouth and a porn-reading sensei. Sakura forced herself to get rid of the thoughts as she focused on the task at hand.

The oncoming assaults of the Zetsu were endless, and the clones were relentless in their attacks, each one every bit as wild and unpredictable as the last. As effective as taijutsu was for Sakura, it was an extremely concentrated effort on her part and not something she would be able to hold up forever, especially if she needed to conserve her chakra for bigger battles that were sure to come if they managed to find Karin. What she needed was to take out a majority with a single hit, one that would at the very least buy them more time and provide a welcome distraction.

"Get out of the way." She hollered as she quickly gathered chakra to her right hand.

Sasuke wasted no time as he leapt in the air and landed on a nearby branch just as she began her assault. Taking note of the now lone target, most of the Zetsu swarmed towards her like moth to a flame. Once they had entered her immediate vicinity, Sakura brought down her fist in a powerful punch, expelling all of the compressed chakra and shattering the earth in one blow. A smug smile tugged at the ends of her lips when she caught sight of their greatly reduced numbers and took note of the protruded limbs that twitched noticeably within the debris of the sizeable crater. Sasuke was at her side before the dust settled with an electric current running up the length of his chokutō. He leapt forward and cut through the remaining Zetsu as if they were made of nothing more than warm butter with a speed that she was barely able to follow. Once the last had fallen to the ground, Sakura looked up and met his gaze.

She was going to ask what their next move would be, when Sasuke suddenly closed he distance between them and slapped a hand over her mouth. He jumped back towards the treetops, taking her with him, before roughly shoving her against the trunk of a nearby tree and hiding the two of them in its pitch black shadow. Green eyes glared at him in confusion as she readied a surge of chakra to break his hold on her. Sasuke's Sharingan was fixed in a dangerous glare as he pressed his hand over her mouth further, his free hand taking hold of her tiny wrists and locking them in an iron grasp. Sakura felt the tiniest flex of his chakra in the air around them as she caught sight of the tomoe in his bloodline begin to spin lazily. It was only when she felt the air shift around them that she realized that he had placed a genjutsu to keep from being detected. Sakura's mind immediately ran a mile a minute as she tried to figure out why Sasuke did so.

Her question was involuntarily answered when she suddenly felt it—the incoming foreign chakra signatures that were moving quickly and making a beeline towards them. It was large, too large to be a part of Danzou's Root operation, and too organized to be the guerrilla warfare that she had come to relate the Zetsu with. Realization dawned in Sakura's mind and she suddenly felt her heart thump wildly in her chest. Wide eyes glanced up at Sasuke, ignoring the pointed look he gave her as he channeled more chakra into the genjutsu that currently hid them away.

She fought against him the closer they approached, the need to break free of his grasp filling her desperately. Sasuke was not gentle with his hold as he roughly shoved her back against the bark of the tree, rendering her body immobile when he pressed against it with his own and effectively pinned her in place. The intimate nature of their current position was lost on Sakura as her eyes swept over his shoulder and landed on the Alliance shinobi that made their way through the forest a mere handful of yards away from where they were situated.

There were so many, all bearing different uniforms, speaking with different dialects, traveling in different patterns; but all were the same, all were one as stated by the shinobi kanji etched upon their identical forehead protectors. They looked tired and battle-weary as they pressed on in their travel, and Sakura fought the urge to throw off the man atop of her to render her aid to the ailing shinobi. Had Sakura been able to remain in Konoha, these people could have very well been the platoon she might have been assigned to, they could have been her comrades. The thought made her choke on painful memories and the future that could have been…

—But wasn't.

She watched as a handful of shinobi diverged from the others at the signal of a superior officer, splitting away and landing not too far from where Sakura and Sasuke were currently concealed. Sakura's breath hitched in her throat, muffled beneath Sasuke's oppressing hand as she caught sight of a familiar face; the first she had seen in many years aside from the man who stood before her.

Kiba was taller than her memory dictated, but just as fierce and roguishly handsome in appearance as before. He wore the standard uniform assigned to chuunin in place of the leather ensemble she had last seen him in, the new shinobi hiate-ate was tied proudly across his forehead. He gave a sharp whistle and was greeted by a sudden white mass of fur that erupted from the shrubbery on the forest floor as it bounded its way up the tree with unnatural ease. It took Sakura a quick second to realize that beast was Akamaru who had grown to be as large as Kakashi's biggest ninken.

The dog barked deafeningly loud as he sniffed the air around them, his head suddenly rounding in their direction as he let out a low whine. Kiba's own nose seemed to have perked up at whatever his ninken had communicated, sharp eyes landing directly on them as he fought to see through the genjutsu he was unaware was there. The kunoichi suddenly began worrying her lip, apprehension filling her at the sight of the Inuzuka investigating.

Sakura shifted beneath Sasuke slightly, digging her fingers into the back of Sasuke's hands as she silently urged him to let go. He fixed her a deadly stare before he dipped his head towards her, closing the scant few inches between them and allowing the suddenly dark tone of his voice filled her ears.

"If you continue to challenge me I will not hesitate to slaughter every single one of them, starting with the Inuzuka and his mutt."

Sakura glanced up sharply at Sasuke as he pulled away from her, staring into his scarlet irises as he watched her steadily. They remained at a standstill for several moments, neither moving nor looking away from one another as they waited for the Allied shinobi to leave. It took several minutes longer than expected before the captain called back Kiba and his familiar from their self-prompted search, ignoring his insistence in the matter.

"Kiba-san," the captain called out. "Fall in so we can move out."

Sakura carefully tore her eyes from Sasuke and watched as Kiba frowned at his taichou. His sharp eyes followed his keen sense of smell and he slowly began to make his way towards them. A sudden trickle of fear began to fill her at his approach. She knew for a fact that if he or any of the other shinobi in his squadron realized about the genjutsu Sasuke had weaved, there would be no saving them. Sasuke would eliminate them for their discovery; especially since Sakura was ninety-nine percent sure that he was a kill-on-sight opponent. Sasuke would kill them all without hesitation and he would do it before she could so much as lift a finger in their defense.

"Inuzuka," barked the captain, breaking through Sakura's troubled thoughts. "Get your ass back over here so we can move out!"

Kiba rolled his eyes at the red-haired kunoichi—whom Sakura vaguely recognized to be as the kunoichi from Kumo Naruto, Sai, and she had briefly encountered in Konoha—but followed orders nonetheless much to her relief. She watched the platoon as it moved out swiftly, her hands still subconsciously gripping Sasuke's tightly as if to keep him from changing his mind and engaging them. Like they would be enough to hold him back.

Once they were long out of sight she released the pressure of her fingertips on the hand ensnaring her wrists, feeling anger slowly surface at the wake of her friend's safety. The two were left standing alone in the deafening silence once again. Sasuke released the genjutsu as their chakra signatures disappeared completely into the distance, his eyes resting on her once again as the air around them returned to normal. Sakura took that chance to forcibly remove her wrists from his grasp, swatting his other hand away from her mouth as she glared at him viciously.

"How _dare_ you." She seethed as she pushed him away from her roughly, putting more distance between them. "How dare you get in the way, I could have gone with them. I could have returned to my friends, to my comrades. I could have seen them again!"

"You won't be granted entrance to their camp no matter the circumstance." Sasuke deadpanned. "They will take you into custody before all else and will question you for any information you may have regarding Akatsuki's movements."

"I know nothing about—"

"You know far more than what they do at the moment." Sasuke cut her off abruptly. A dark scowl marring his face before it melted back into the mask of icy indifference. "No one knows of Taka's defection. No one knows what I am planning and it will remain that way. I want Madara and Danzou to die and suffer at my hand; I want to be the one to deal the final blow and watch them take their final breath. I will finish them and _no one_ will take that right from me."

Sakura froze at his words, green eyes meeting red as she searched his cool disposition. She found nothing. There was a truth to his words. And though Sakura didn't agree with him or his methods, she knew that Sasuke's goal could very well help end the war and provide her the most opportune moment to return to her friends and to Konoha. She did not have to fight his fights, nor pledge her allegiance to him. All she had to do was endure him long enough to fulfill his wishes and keep him alive in the process.

Still, the anger that had filled her at his actions did not dissipate for the remainder of their resumed travel.

* * *

Sunrise did not come that morning. Instead, Sakura and Sasuke were greeted by dark waves of nearly-black clouds that became present during the last stretch of their journey. There was a thunderous rumbling in the distance and the smell of rain was thick in the air. It wouldn't be very long before there was torrent coming down on them, Sakura mused. Not that it mattered much anyway, since it seemed they had arrived if Sasuke's slowed pace was any indication.

She paused warily, unsure of what to expect, and kept her eyes trained on Sasuke as he continued his pace forward.

"Stay here," he instructed. "It won't take long."

And before Sakura could so much as get a word in, he walked further into the open field they had landed in. He made several hand seals as he walked forward and promptly disappeared from sight.

Startled, Sakura sent out a wave of her chakra, acutely feeling out for his own. She didn't locate him, but was once again surprised to find a faint pulsing of foreign chakra, one that was spread out so thinly that she had failed to take note of it when Sasuke and she had made their approach. There was little time to dwell on it however when she felt a notable shift in the air and Sasuke suddenly emerged from the genjutsu as he made his way towards her. The stronghold quickly appeared behind him like a mirage in the desert. She went and met him halfway, a frown set upon her features.

"You could have told me that there was a genjutsu." She said flatly.

"It was more than just a genjutsu, it's also a barrier; one that would have alerted Madara immediately of intruders if the proper chakra code wasn't applied."

"I see." She intoned. It was very similar to the wards that were placed around Konoha before Pain's attack. Sakura dropped the subject in turn for common ground. "So do we just waltz in and get Karin or is there more to this that you'd like to share?"

Sasuke gave her a long calculating look before he replied. "There are a series of traps and genjutsu weaved throughout the base. I highly doubt Madara would so much as leave this or any of his other abodes defenseless."

"Then how do you propose we go about this?" Sakura asked.

"There's absolutely nothing you can do." called a voice.

Sakura and Sasuke simultaneously turned towards the revealed entrance of the stronghold and came face-to-face with a woman with long blond hair and a Kumo headband. There was an unmistakable red cloak of malicious chakra surrounding her, and Sakura knew that they had just come across a jinchuuriki. That cloak was unforgettable, and only someone with a bijuu sealed within them was able to don it. What Sakura wanted to know though, was why Madara would go through the trouble of replacing the bijuu in a reanimated corpse.

Mismatched eyes bore into them as they readied themselves for attack. "Madara has taken her to one of his many strongholds that litter the continent. She could be here, or she could be somewhere else entirely."

"Why humor us with this?" Sasuke said, shifting his stance. A hand hovered over the hilt of his blade.

The kunoichi merely stared at him for a moment. "He has very explicit instructions when it comes to dealing you Uchiha Sasuke. However, in the end they always boil down to be the same. Eliminate on sight." With that she vanished, only to reappear behind him.

Sasuke managed to block the strike with his blade, but was pushed back by the sheer power of her blow. He locked his legs in place before he leapt away from her and closer to where Sakura stood.

"Don't get too close to her." Sakura said as her green eyes remained fixated on the kunoichi that approached languidly. Memories of Naruto's tail lashing out at her filled her mind. It had taken a long while for her arm to recover, even after her chakra healing. She had sustained quite a bit of nerve damage and had needed Tsunade to right it for her. Any injuries sustained from the jinchuuriki's chakra would have lasting damage and Sakura would rather not have to tap into _that_ as long as she could. "Avoid all hits if you can."

"Aa." Sasuke agreed as he kept his eyes trained on the blond woman. "Go find Karin." Sakura nodded as she bolted for the entrance.

An electric current surged throughout his body as he rocketed forward, closing the distance between he and the kunoichi in the fraction of a second. Sasuke was nothing more than a dark blur surrounded by the screeching crackle of electricity. The kunoichi met him blow for blow, her kunai clashing with his chokutō in a screech of metal against metal. A snarl filled the air as his blade cut through the kunai with relative ease. She released the useless weapon as she surged forward, feinted right, and struck at him from the left. With his Sharingan activated, Sasuke parried the attack easily but the force of the blow was enough to have him recoil and stagger back. He recovered and managed to deflect her kicks before flickering away from her with a burst of chakra. Another surge of chakra and he was before her once more, Sharingan spinning rapidly.

The reanimated Kumo kunoichi lunged for him, the red cloak of her chakra lashing out at him in tandem. He evaded the attacks easily, his mind formulating a sequence of attacks that would render her immobile as he tried to get Sakura some time to search the base and find Karin.

Genjutsu would not work on her considering she now possessed her own Sharingan and a Rinnegan. Not to mention the lariat that the Eight-Tails had delivered him three years ago was still fresh on his mind. The pain of having his chest cavity literally blown apart when he thought he had brought the other shinobi under with his Mangekyou was not something Sasuke was eager to repeat. He would not commit the same mistake in underestimating the power of a jinchuuriki, especially one who had perfect control over their tailed beast. And given that the Two-Tails hailed from the same nation as the Eight-Tails, it was safe to assume that she too had mastered it. She had to in order to be shrouded in its malevolent chakra and not lose herself to the beast like Naruto had during their battle at the Valley of the End.

"You'd do best to pay attention!" she yelled as she suddenly appeared before him, delivering a powerful chakra-encased strike to his torso. He managed to block the blow but his arms were burned by the chakra she exuded.

Gritting his teeth, Sasuke swept his lightning-covered blade towards her, using his elemental chakra to boost his speed. The metal cleanly swept through her right side, smoothly running through her until it reached the hilt. Sasuke gave a violent twist and prepared to continue his path outwards when her hands suddenly wrapped around the chokutō, keeping it firmly in place. A feral smirk spread across her lips.

"You're a fool," she chastised, pulling him towards her roughly, her chakra searing into him as she used it to hold him close. "And you will die because of it. But not before I take out the kunoichi first."

Swirling tomoe swept over the blonde's head as they looked towards the entrance of the cave. He felt the rise of the kunoichi's chakra before it slowly began splitting itself in half. Sasuke was locked within her grasp and watched as another kunoichi slowly began to emerge from the original. A clone, but one unlike any shadow clone he had come across. This was a living, breathing, entity; not one that would dissipate once you hit it hard enough. A surge of adrenaline shot through his veins when the clone-kunoichi shot him a look that was just a feral as the original's.

"Let's see how she fares when she comes face to face with one half of Matatabi." Yugito smirked before launching Sasuke away from her. He flipped once before landing in a crouch and managed to look up in time to see the other half of the tailed beast's form snarling at him.

Despite himself and the fact of constantly being at odds with Sakura, he could not deny the microscopic seed of worry that ingrained itself in him at the fact that she would soon be dealing with a demon cat of her own. Red eyes flashed as Sasuke brought forth his Mangekyou, his pinwheel spinning furiously when the flaming demon cat charged.

There was little time to think, and that was the way Sasuke preferred.


	9. Coalition, Pt II

**A/N:** Hello everyone. Long time no see. Let me start off with apologizing profusely for the exceedingly long hiatus. Life has been so difficult, and to be frank, I was having a very difficult time gathering the energy and inspiration needed to continue. Since I'm trying to ease myself back into writing, I've decided to temporarily postpone Vestige for the time being. I want and _need_ to focus on Storm, especially if I'm planning on staying on track with where I'd like to be by the end of the year. Can you believe that come October it will be three years since Storm was first posted? It's crazy. And that brings me to another point.

Thank you _so much_ for the continued support despite my disappearing off the map. Even through my year-long hiatus I still received e-mails alerting me of new follows and reviews. So again, thank you, because it's those little things that push me to come back.

I'm currently moving north to Illinois so I've been a bit busy (that and we didn't get the internet connected until today), but thought I'd get this out tonight. (On a side note I'm thinking about combining this with the previous chapter, thoughts?)

Enjoy the chapter!

xx LCF

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

* * *

_**Storm**_

Chapter 8: Coalition, Pt. II

* * *

Rain fell heavily over base camp, though it didn't seem to slow the shinobi that occupied it in the slightest. They went about their business as usual; some reporting in to their posts as others were being relieved from duty. One shinobi in particular was currently weaving her way through medical tents, spurred with a visible sense of urgency that reflected in her hurried gait.

Hinata was quick on the way over, nearly crashing into several of her comrades in her haste. She made her way towards Naruto's tent easily enough, having distinguished it from the others a long time ago through her countless visits. The flaps that were normally opened to allow air to circulate were left closed, most likely due to the weather, and as she neared his temporary home she felt a wave of nervousness wash over her. She wouldn't have much time to visit today; she was supposed to meet up with her squad in twenty minutes at the north gate to begin rounds and probably wouldn't be back until past nightfall. Caught up in her musings, Hinata barely managed to stop short of her usual entrance when she caught the foreign chakra signatures within the tent. Unsure of entering since Naruto had company, the Hyuuga heiress fidgeted slightly with the hem of her flak jacket.

"It's alright Hinata, you can come in." came Kakashi's muted voice. She visibly relaxed at her captain's muted command and didn't hesitate to enter.

Pushing aside the thick material of the canvas flap, Hinata took a step inside before she froze at the sight before her. Pearly orbs took in the three men currently occupied within the tent, her vision clouding over as tears suddenly welled in her eyes. She immediately looked to Naruto, who had finally woken from his two-week coma and whose resounding grin caused her to explode into a fit of teary giggles as he nodded over to the strappy brunette standing beside Kakashi.

"Kiba-kun!" she exclaimed before she ran to give her teammate a hug.

"Hey Hinata, long time no see." He laughed as he returned the embrace with just as much fervor.

Hinata released him after a moment, smiling brightly at her friend before she turned to Naruto's bedridden form. Relief washed over her at the sight of his beautiful cobalt eyes, and she didn't hesitate for a second before she embraced him with all her might. A dry sob of relief escaped her, punctuated by Naruto's warm hand as he rubbed her back soothingly.

"I'm sorry Hinata. I never meant to scare you." He muttered. Hinata shook her head fervently, feeling the patches of his scraggly facial hair comb through her crown.

"There's no need to apologize. I'm just glad you're safe." She whispered in return before she clutched him closer to her still. A quiet cough brought them from their little world, and the two righted themselves before they set their sights on Kakashi.

"I'm glad you're finally awake, Naruto. It took you long enough." The older man droned with a familiar spark of quiet amusement that shone in his visible eye.

"Heh. Sorry about that Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said sheepishly. "I didn't mean to scare you." He continued as he looked towards Hinata. The Hyuuga heiress merely shook her head. There was no need for more apologies.

"You mean you're sorry for not following direct orders and venturing out on your own and nearly dying in the process?" Kakashi sighed before he folded his arms over his chest and stared down at the blond.

"Yeah, that too." Naruto looked down at his lap, bowing his head apologetically. "I just couldn't stay, knowing what we did. What kind of person would that make me—what kind of _friend_ would it make me if I knew that Sasuke was just an arm's length away and I didn't try to reach him?"

Naruto looked back down to find Hinata's small hand as it settled over his own. He laced their fingers together as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze in gratitude.

"Wait, you saw the Uchiha?" Kiba questioned, his brow furrowed in thought.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, why else do you think I'd be here? I felt him when I was on patrol and I took off. I met up with him not long after considering he was alone. Usually he's traveling with the rest of Taka, or at least in pairs, but there was nothing this time, just him. I just thought it would be as a good time as any to try and pull his head out of his ass."

"But you engaged him in a fight." Kakashi stated.

"No—well yes, but that's not what I wanted to do. I just wanted to try and reason with him. He's not stupid and he knows about Madara and he knows about the truth regarding his family. I just wanted to know why he was still fighting against me when he planted himself beside the man that helped take away everything he loved."

Kakashi sighed, already aware of how this conversation was going to end. "Naruto, you know that Sasuke can't be reasoned with now. There's not much left of the genin we once knew. We saw that years ago when he nearly took his teammate's life."

Kiba interrupted before Naruto could respond. The Inuzuka ignored the half-assed glare Naruto directed at him and turned to face the division leader. "Actually Sasuke is the reason I came to look for you and Naruto, Kakashi-taichou. Before our arrival to base, my platoon split off from our division and we caught sight of freshly mutilated Zetsu corpses. The weirdest thing though was the scent Akamaru picked up."

He took a deep breath as he met Kakashi's and Naruto's expectant gazes. "It was definitely Sasuke, but we couldn't point it out exactly where it came from or where he had gone to. He must have been using a jutsu to conceal himself."

"How long ago was this? If it was just this morning then he couldn't have gotten very far!" Naruto made to get up from the bed, but was halted when Kakashi's hand fell over his shoulder firmly.

"Kakashi-sensei he fought _against_ the Zetsu." He insisted, desperate to search for his friend once more with a sense of newfound hope. This was the first time in years that Sasuke had done anything to distinguish which side he was on. The words Itachi had spoken to him several years ago before his death reverberated in Naruto's mind. _Sasuke is still pure_.

Kakashi promptly ignored his outburst as he faced Kiba. "What I want to know is why you hadn't reported this to your commanding officer."

Naruto looked at him incredulously. Everyone knew that Sasuke was kill-on-sight. It was among one of the first declarations Danzou made since his ascent to village leader, and much to Naruto's chagrin, it seemed that the other kages were also onboard with the descision.

Kiba shook his head. "There was another factor involved that I didn't know what to do with, and even though I don't get why, I know he still means a lot to you. I feel like you guys of all people should know when Sasuke's been on the move. Anyway, the biggest reason I didn't say anything then was because there was someone with him, though we weren't able to make them out well either."

Kakashi nodded. "Aside from the brief encounter Naruto had, Sasuke does tend to travel with members of his team."

"No, that's not it. We know their scents, we were ordered to memorize each of them, but this one was different. It was _familiar_."

Both Kakashi and Naruto froze as Kiba's words began to sink in. Naruto's blue eyes snapped over to Kiba, his grip on Hinata's hand tightened almost painfully. When he spoke, his voice was uncharacteristically low. "What are you saying Kiba?"

"I wasn't sure at first, the oncoming storm and jutsu made discerning it a bit tricky, also coupled with the fact that it's changed marginally."

"Kiba," Naruto's tone turned serious. "_Who was it_?"

Both men stared at each other evenly from their spots in the tent. And finally, after a second that seemed to last years, Kiba spoke.

"It was Sakura."

Naruto was on his feet in an instant.

"Are you sure? There's no possible way you can be wrong?" Kakashi asked as his gloved hand tightened over Naruto's shoulder. Muscles twitched under his grip as Naruto took a shuddered breath.

"I'm ninety-nine point eight percent sure. Like I said, it's different, which is a given considering the time not spent around her, but the undertones are the same, just matured."

Naruto shrugged off Kakashi's hand as he spun on his heel. He was prepared to walk out of the tent, but paused momentarily when he felt Hinata's hand take his once more. She pulled him back gently; her eyes begging him not act reckless. A part of him, the part that thought the only family he had ever known was lost to him forever, wanted to ignore her; but the bigger part of him that loved her unconditionally made him stop, even if it felt like he would break into a million little pieces.

Kakashi stood before him now and gave him a look that Naruto was almost all-too familiar with. He was going to pull rank, and the blond jinchuuriki wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry or go berserk; probably an odd combination of the three.

"I'm sorry Naruto, but you can't. That's an order. I arrived as soon as the med-nin notified me of your consciousness to impart orders directly from Danzou." Kakashi took a deep breath, clearly not happy with what he was about to say. "Given what happened, _Hokage-sama_ has forbidden you from pursuing Sasuke further. If you fail to follow orders again, if you break rank again, he'll have your chakra sealed and you'll be sent to a safe house for the remainder of the war."

"That's bullshit!" Naruto raged. "He can't keep me from going after Sasuke or Sakura-chan!"

"Naruto-kun, please calm down." Hinata implored as she held onto his hand tightly. "Think clearly; if you purposely go against orders that gives Danzou-sama the best reason to keep you from the field."

"Hinata's right," Kakashi agreed. "Danzou has no problem withdrawing you from the war and throwing you in a cell on the grounds of insubordination. He'll go especially hard on you considering you're one of the two remaining jinchuuriki that Madara hasn't been able to get his hands on. He'll want to keep you as far away from the action, which means your chances of stumbling across Sasuke or Sakura on the field will go from slim to none. You'll be of no use to anyone if you're locked in a cell with your chakra sealed."

Kakashi's words seemed to have their intended effect as Naruto took a seat on his bed once more. He exhaled loudly, obviously displeased but doing his best to contain it.

"I don't like it." He finally rasped.

"We don't like it either," Kakashi returned. "But we have to do what we can. Just because we can't be out looking for them every chance we get doesn't mean that there aren't others who might have an opportunity. I'm going to see if I can get a message out to Sai and ask for his help. He hasn't been able to join us much considering Danzou has got Root working on his own operations aside from the war, but I know he'd be willing to help with Sakura."

"And Akamaru and I will keep a nose out for her too." Kiba piped in, not wanting to be forgotten.

"I'll also be looking." Hinata said as she stood from her seat. "I'm actually due to leave for patrol in a few minutes." She gave Naruto a swift kiss on the cheek before she went to hug Kiba once more and nod politely to her taichou.

"Thank you, Hinata." Naruto said. The two shared another long look before she smiled and ducked shyly out of the tent. Naruto's eyes then landed on the brunette before him. "You too Kiba, you don't have to do this either."

Kiba snorted. "Hey, it's not like you and Sai were the only ones upset with Sakura's disappearance. Ino was in tears for weeks, and Lee still has random fits. We were all upset. Hell, even Neji was more uptight than usual. Once business is finished up here, my platoon is heading over to Fourth Division's base camp. I'm sure a few of our friends will be more than willing to keep an eye out for some pink hair."

Naruto couldn't help but crack a small grin at that. He felt a little better at that, though he was upset he wouldn't be able to help much with the search himself. Still, Kakashi had a point. And even without going in search for him, Naruto did tend to run into Sasuke much more frequently since the beginning of the war. There were going to be plenty of more opportunities.

With that thought in mind, Naruto sat back idly in bed just as his med-nin popped in to give him an extensive examination. He didn't even mind when she said that he was to be on bed-rest for at least three more days, because for the first time in a long time, Naruto finally felt a piece of his broken heart mend, and his hope of reuniting with his precious people fully restored.

* * *

The air was still; disturbingly so.

It felt stale, as if the base had not been properly ventilated in a very long time. In reality that should have been the first thing to tip Sakura off that something wasn't quite right. None of the traps Sasuke had warned her of seemed to be activated, making Sakura delve deeper into the stronghold with more-than-necessary precaution. After all, how would she be able to face him if she heeded his advice, found that there wasn't any danger, lowered her guard and then walked into a pitiful trap that could have easily avoided had she remained as vigilant as she needed to be?

As she pushed the frustrating train of thought out of mind, Sakura continued to walk along the dark corridor of the abandoned base. She couldn't help the sense of déjà vu that washed over her. How many times had she lurked about dark pathways, always mindful of her next step as she drowned in paranoia? Sakura rounded the next corner, careful to keep note on the path she had taken. The last thing she needed was to get lost inside the stone maze while Sasuke kept the jinchuuriki occupied.

A fork in the tunnel came up, and just as she started to dispel her chakra in search for any life Sakura felt a sudden surge of power creep up behind her. She whirled around, her own chakra suddenly on edge as she tried to feel where the malevolent energy came from, but was unable to pinpoint the direction. The chakra surge that fluctuated was thick in the air, but she still couldn't find its origin. "Hello?" she called out as she peered into the darkness. The only response she received was deafening silence before she was suddenly struck by a driving kick to the chin.

Sakura sailed through the air as Yugito's strike hit its target. She skidded to a halt, unable to catch her breath for a moment as the blond jinchuuriki closed in. Yugito reached her a mere second later and lifted her up with unnatural ease. Sakura cried out as she was hurled against the stone wall and landed on the ground in a heap. The jinchuuriki approached her again, and it was only by sheer force of will that she managed to roll out of the way before the blond kunoichi landed another blow.

She got to her feet quickly, surging chakra through her arms as she exchanged blows with the other kunoichi. Sakura braced herself as Yugito rushed her once more, and released the build-up of chakra through her arms as she landed a direct hit just as the blond was about to strike—successfully sending her back several meters in the process.

The pink-haired kunoichi studied the jinchuuriki silently, taking note of the difference in appearance from the shinobi she and Sasuke had initially encountered. Instead of retaining the form of its vessel, it seemed as if the Two-Tails had managed to achieve a partial manifestation. Yugito's speed was frighteningly quick, making her a more formidable opponent coupled with her newfound claws. And though it seemed that she wasn't able to perform any jutsu considering that she hadn't up until then, Sakura figured it would be best to keep her distance.

"Where is Sasuke?" Sakura asked as she kept a close eye on the undead kunoichi's movements.

A feral smirk spread across her painted lips. "He's preoccupied at the moment. It seems that the other half of Nekomata is keeping him quite busy." Her words were punctuated by a thunderous bang that caused the entire cavern to tremor dangerously before rocks and dirt rained down on them.

There was something about Yugito's smug appearance, like the cat that caught the canary, which made Sakura come upon a realization.

"Karin's not here."

The other kunoichi clapped condescendingly. "Bravo. I was beginning to wonder when you'd get the hint. Tell me, what gave it away?"

Sakura ignored her question. "What's Madara plotting? Is this his attempt to capture Sasuke?"

The blond snorted in contempt. "No, this is his attempt at getting rid of _you_. He's not pleased that you and the Uchiha have teamed up."

Pink brows furrowed in confusion. The need to weaken Sasuke since he had turned his back on Akatsuki was understandable; but the vehemence he held over _her_ working with him? It made no sense. It seemed that with one answer, so many other questions came to mind, and it was only Sasuke who would be able to clear the air. Granted, that was if he even _wanted _to, but it was a chance she was more than willing to take. She needed to get down to the bottom of this and find the best course of action to take.

Sakura snapped out of her musings as Yugito charged her once more, claws extended and aimed for her jugular. Having lost the element of surprise, Sakura was successful in evading her swipe this time around before counter-attacking with a backhand fist. She managed to knock the other kunoichi off-kilter for just a second before the blond righted herself and charged with a newfound sense of anger. With a burst of chakra, Yugito vanished and reappeared behind Sakura in a fraction of a second.

A cry of pain escaped Sakura as agony suddenly burst through her spine, causing her to drop to her knees on reflex. The older kunoichi wasted no time before she grabbed her roughly by the hair and tossed her several meters down the corridor as if she weighed nothing more than a rag doll. Sakura tried her best to ignore the pain that came with every move she made as she fought to stand, but was unable to do so as the blond approached her quickly. In a last ditch effort to buy herself some time, Sakura unsheathed her tantō and launched it at the jinchuuriki, hitting her mark as her blade pierced her through the neck and effectively pinned her to the wall.

Yugito hissed in displeasure before she harshly pulled out the blade. Her injury had already started to heal by the time she reached Sakura's fallen form. She lifted her free leg overhead in a wide arc before she brought it down in a powerful axe kick. Quickly manipulating the chakra in her hands, Sakura managed to catch the kick before it shattered her sternum. She struggled beneath the force the jinchuuriki continued to exude for several moments.

Just as her arms were about to give out, a piercing shriek reached her ears as a pale blue light filled the corridor. She looked up to see a lightning-covered blade protruding from Yugito's chest before it quickly withdrew to slash across her neck. The decapitated form fell beside her lifelessly, revealing Sasuke's offensive stance.

"Thanks." She said, temporarily stunned at his arrival.

He ignored her look of surprise as he kept his eyes on the dead body beside her. "Are you alight?" he asked.

"I will be in a minute. She managed to get a few good hits in before you got here." Sakura grimaced as she started to guide her healing chakra to begin mending her ribs and back.

"We don't have a minute. Keep as much pain at bay as you can, we need to move now." Sasuke instructed.

He didn't wait for a reply before he reached down and plucked her from the ground. A fresh wave of pain coursed through Sakura from being jostled, but she refrained from crying out. Sasuke's chakra pulsed around them, and a second later Sakura found herself outside of the abandoned hideout as he set on her feet. She spied what appeared to be the remains of the other half of the Two-Tails as it slowly began to regenerate from its mutilated form. Sasuke cleared his throat irritably, successfully pulling her attention away from the reforming jinchuuriki before his hands ran through familiar seals and summoned forth a hawk. He took hold of her once more as he leapt onto its back.

They were airborne in seconds and rising quickly. As they cleared the forest canopy, a feral snarl came from below before several large balls of fire were sent in their direction. The hawk avoided the blasts easily enough as it continued to gain altitude, which served to enrage the blazing cat that had manifested beneath them further. After a few more moments of flight, the hawk paid the threat no mind as they had climbed too high up to be reached.

Sakura let out a sigh of relief as she lay back and felt the soft plumage caress her skin. There was little comfort given the sudden downpour of icy rain that drenched them, but she couldn't find it in her to care. At least it had managed to slightly numb the throbbing fire in her torso. Her hands flared green as she promptly set to work on healing her injuries, stopping only when they were set properly and beginning to mend. Yugito's kick had been as fierce as the rest of her, and had it connected with her the way she had intended Sakura would have remained paralyzed from the waist down. Severe spinal fractures tended to do that. If she healed them completely in one go, it'd take up too much of her chakra and she'd remain a sitting duck should she attack them once again.

Looking over at Sasuke, Sakura silently noted that he seemed to favor his left side, with his arm wrapped protectively over his right side and fingers splayed along his ribcage. Blood peeked between the gaps. "You're injured." She exclaimed as she started to make her way over.

"It's nothing." Sasuke bit back, his tone harsh enough to make her falter. Pink brows knit together in sudden frustration. "You asked me to join you in order to keep you alive—"

"Do I look like I'm dying?" he snapped as he glared at her frozen stature.

Anger flared up in her, but Sakura remained silent. If he wanted to bleed out, fine. But she hoped he didn't come to her later asking to be patched up once his injuries turned out to be worse for wear.

They flew for a few more minutes, putting as much distance between them and the base as they could to keep from being easily tracked. It wasn't long before the hawk made its descent and they touched down in a small clearing under the dense canopy of trees. Once they got down, the hawk promptly bowed its head to Sasuke before returning to its dimension with an almost inaudible _pop_. From where they had landed, Sakura could see just past the thinning tree line towards the entrance of the grotto.

She wiped her face from the rain, and just as she took a step forward, Sakura nearly fell when Sasuke suddenly pitched forward. Her hands shot out to steady him, eyes filled with worry as she glanced over at the injury he clutched. The once small trickle of blood flowed more freely now, cascading over his hand in thick streams. Another wave of indignation washed over her at the sight. _Pig-headed men and their unrelenting egos_.

"Hold on, Sasuke." Sakura murmured. She ignored his mild protests as she easily picked him up and started towards their campsite in a sprint.

As she approached Suigetsu suddenly stepped out of the shadows, face contorted in irritation. "Where the hell were you—"

"Not now, Suigetsu." Sakura said before she walked inside with him hot on her heels.

Juugo was on his feet the second his eyes landed on her and Sasuke. "What happened?" he implored as he made room for her to lay him down. Sakura ignored him as she lowered Sasuke onto the ground gently, one hand already prying away his own to get a better look. She cut away at his shirt with a kunai, taking in the jagged slashes that ran deep along his side.

It looked like Yugito managed to get a in a good hit before she was blown to smithereens. The edges of the slashes were messy, most likely due to Sasuke attempting to put space between them. It was deep, hence the blood, but not enough to be life-threatening. The only thing that worried Sakura was the amount of time he'd need to recuperate. Even now as Sakura swept her healing chakra though his network she could feel the malevolent one of the Nibi fighting hers at every turn. If her personal experience with healing bijuu-related injuries was anything to go by, it will definitely take a little time and several healing sessions before Sasuke returned to full strength.

"Juugo can you please bring my medic pouch?" She asked as she began the healing. Sakura didn't bother to wait for his answer before she turned to focus on her work.

Sasuke's short pants relaxed as she dulled the pain, though he remained conscious. He watched her idly through bleary eyes; his languor obvious given the amount of blood lost. The dark-haired man took in raspy breaths as she worked, alerting her to his consciousness. Green eyes swept over to meet his momentarily and caught the tumultuous storm that brewed in their depths.

She tore her gaze away once Juugo approached. "Thank you. Now if you'd please withdraw a roll of bandages and the antiseptic paste."

While the large man did as asked, Sakura began to wrap up the first healing session. She managed to stop the bleeding relatively quickly before she worked on the finishing touches of the first layer of flesh that had been able to fully heal. The wound was still relatively raw, so Sakura took great care when she started to spread the thick green paste along the edges. When she was done with that, she had Juugo prop him up so she could wrap the bandage around him firmly, keeping what little she'd healed of his injury sealed tight. With that she was finished and the gentle giant placed him back on the ground. His eyes remained glued to her throughout the entire procedure, though they were glazed over in pain and fatigue.

"Rest." Sakura instructed when she caught sight of his stare once more. "It's going to take some time for you to get back into fighting shape. The bijuu's chakra is making it difficult to heal in one session. Once you're all healed up we'll be able to continue the search for Karin."

"We ceased the search…for Karin." Sasuke got out as he took a harrowing breath.

Sakura was prepared to call him out on that. The snarky retort was on the tip of her tongue, ready to give him a good verbal lashing on hypocrisy when Suigetsu's hand fell on her shoulder. He shook his head when he caught the look in her eye and silently urged her to let his statement slide.

"It's no use arguing." He muttered. "Once Sasuke's made up his mind about something, that's the end of it."

"If that were the case then could you explain to me how I woke up to him sneaking out alone in order to keep looking for Karin?"

The former Mist-nin frowned. "Is that where you guys had gone?"

Sakura nodded. "I was up and caught him leaving his post, so I followed him until he confronted me. After that we spent the rest of the night tracking her down to an old hideout. It was going pretty well up until we were attacked by the Two-Tails' undead jinchuuriki and forced to leave. Turns out in the end it was just a wild goose chase and a failed attempt of Madara's to stop us."

"If Madara is so dead-set against us continuing our search for the old geezer then it looks like we're doing something right." Suigetsu hummed thoughtfully.

"But why would Madara be against Sasuke eliminating Danzou?" Juugo asked.

At this Sakura's brows knit together in thought. She wasn't sure if it was wise to bring up what Yugito had said about Madara being against her joining Sasuke's ranks. It was something she'd had to bring up and discuss with Sasuke once he was well recuperated and willing to talk, though bleak as her chances of getting answers seemed. So many questions ran through her mind and she wasn't quite sure that they would get so much as acknowledged.

"I don't know." She piped up at last. "I just know that he's playing at something, and probably has some sort of plan up his sleeve that might have to do with Danzou's role in the war."

"Yeah but he's not a really active part in it, is he?" Suigetsu said. "He hasn't seen the frontlines since this whole damn thing began almost three years ago. From what we've gathered he's been hiding away in some stronghold or other with his Root agents and barking out orders."

Suigetsu's revelation brought a frown on Sakura's face. "It's easy to bark orders from the shadows where no one can see you."

"He's nothing but a war mongrel and a coward." Sakura bit out.

Both conscious men turned to look at the rose-haired female. They knew she had been a kunoichi from Konoha and was Sasuke's old teammate; but what they didn't know was why exactly she was out there instead of the frontlines when it was obvious she still loved her village and her countrymen. Green eyes fell over both of them, understanding painted across her features like she knew exactly what they were thinking.

"He sent out a couple of his agents to assassinate my master." She explained. "I couldn't let them kill the Godaime while she remained comatose after Pain's. So I killed the few I could and caused enough of a ruckus to have them tail me. I led them out as far east as I could, but they'd gotten a few good hits in and by the time I reached the coastline I was too far gone to put up a decent fight. I was surrounded and on the edge of a cliff, so I jumped instead of letting myself get captured. I've been on the run ever since, though I have to admit that the number of hunter-nin sent after me have steadily declined once the war started, but there has been the occasional mercenary. I just kept my head low and traveled all over the place; never staying anywhere for too long. I was actually heading out of Lightning Country when I ran across you guys."

"Hold on," Suigetsu jumped in. "You're telling me that Danzou plotted to have the Godaime, who was your master, assassinated. You interfered and killed a few Root members and managed to draw them away from their target, which at one point got you cornered so you chose to flee and was then marked as a missing-nin."

"Badass." He exclaimed with a toothy smirk. Sakura merely rolled her eyes before turning her attention to Sasuke's now sleeping form. Despite his injuries his breath was coming slow and evenly and there was no sign of stress or internal hemorrhaging.

"You are a far more capable medic than you had us believe." Juugo intoned quietly from his seat. Sakura glanced over at the large man and had the decency to look sheepish.

"I am, and I'm sorry for not being forthcoming with that fact. I guess it's just a habit now to water down techniques and constantly alter my appearance to keep from being recognized."

Suigetsu waved her off. "Don't worry about it; we've all done things to keep under the radar. Though, I do think that it's rather pointless now since you've teamed up with Sasuke. He kind of draws attention whether he wants to or not."

A sudden picture of a dozen flustered schoolgirls surrounding the stoic Uchiha as he sat at his desk came to mind, causing Sakura to chuckle lightly. "I have to agree with you on that."

The conversation turned to random subjects after that, and before long rain had let up as the sun began to set. Suigetsu volunteered to take first watch as Juugo began to prepare dinner and Sakura remained at Sasuke's side as she checked his injuries from time to time.

Worry filled her despite her anger from earlier. Although she was still wary of the easy tone he took when threatening the lives of her comrades, she couldn't help but recall the weight of his body as it pressed against hers nor his hot breath heavy in her ear when he spoke. It sent a quiet thrill down her spine looking back on it now despite her initial anger. Irritation radiated through her at the unbidden memories.

_Damn you, Sasuke._ She mentally cursed from her perch at his side. _And damn me for letting myself feel this way._

* * *

In an underground network of tunnels deep within Waterfall's own country was a cell made of stone. Inside was a woman, bound to the wall, arms and legs splayed around her and anchored to the stone. She was naked save for her dark shorts and chest bindings, and bites littered every inch of exposed flesh.

Karin flinched when the creaky hinges of the iron door creaked opened to reveal a dark silhouette that was frighteningly familiar despite the change in demeanor. She fought the whimper that clawed at her throat, not wanting to give the shinobi the satisfaction of her fear. He approached her after a moment, his dark cloak dragging behind him as serpents slithered out of his sleeve. She felt their cool scales as they wound themselves around her torso, their tongues flicking out to taste the chakra in the air.

"My Karin, it's been a while." Came Kabuto's voice, sweet like poisoned honey.

Karin said nothing as she kept her gaze steadfast on the stone wall before her. She was mounted several feet off the floor, making it easy for her to try and ignore Kabuto entirely. The serpents tightened their hold.

"Now, that's no way to act around a former comrade." He chided. "I do remember you enjoying working alongside Orochimaru-sama and myself several years ago, before your decision to join Sasuke, at least."

"Orochimaru-sama was dead. There was no defection." She grit out.

Suddenly a hand shot out and wrapped tightly around her neck like a coil. "You should have turned your allegiance to _me_." The serpents hissed in agitation that was congruent with their master's displeasure.

"You are alive, thanks to me. I was the one to convince Madara to spare you. Now listen well to what I have to say. You will maintain a close eye on Sasuke's whereabouts, the same with Danzou's. Once the two encounter there are several things to be done to set certain plans in motion. The moment Sasuke kills him you will inform me immediately, understood?" He murmured as he stepped closer to her.

"It would be shame to kill someone of your pedigree. There aren't many of your clansmen left, and you are one of the last few of those who inherited the special chakra and vitality they were known for. Do not push my hand Karin, because you will find that I have no qualms against wiping out an ancestry that has spanned for thousands of years."

_That_ sparked Karin's interest and it seemed that Kabuto picked up on that, for his smirk grew wicked. "Of course, I can always tell you of your family history—for a price. But I'm afraid that knowledge like that does not come cheap."

"I'll do what you want." She said, still not wanting to meet his eyes and see the look of crazed glee on his features.

"That's a smart girl." He cooed. "Now, if you don't mind; I've gotten a bit weary after a recent run-in with some of the Allied and I'm in a need of a pick-me-up."

He gave her no other warning before she felt his teeth sink into the flesh just below her ribs. The excitement in his bespectacled eyes reflected upon her own lenses and Karin couldn't do anything but bite back the cry of pain that threatened to escape her as he sucked out her chakra. Beneath the pain however, was a raw fury at his audacity. He was a more than capable medical ninja, one that was well able to heal his own injuries. Despite this however, she would do as asked because he had answers that she needed. It would pay off in the end.

And if it didn't, she found comfort in the fact that Kabuto's death was all but assured in the end. It wouldn't be long now. She only hoped it came after she obtained the history of her heritage. If she lost that then _that_ would be a waste.

* * *

**A/N:** And there you have it! I'm not entirely sure just how long the history of Naruto's world is so I'm taking a creative license with that. Hopefully it shouldn't be that off point, if it is…whoops? And I'm not sure that Karin is aware of her ancestry. To me it seems like she was just a young kunoichi to which Orochimaru was drawn to for her special chakra with no real knowledge of where she came from. At least that's the direction I'm going with.

I want to thank you guys again for the continuous support. I might not always be able to update frequently in chapters to come, but I can assure you that it won't take a year. And you can also rest assured that I will NOT be abandoning this or any of my other fics.

Also, feel free to stalk me on tumblr! The penname is the same. You can post any questions you have about this or any of my other fics, or just to say hi! I love having a good chat and that's where I usually vent about TV shows, ships, or randomness that may or may not be making or breaking my internet life.

Once again, thank you so much for the love and feel free to leave a review!

And let it be known that I'll be participating in SasuSaku month this year to help kick my writing into high gear! Hopefully all the SasuSaku feels keep me motivated in the months to come.

xx LCF


	10. Reignited Fixation

**A/N: **Hey guys! How've ya'll been?

I want to take a second to say thank you for the reviews, _Storm _has made it past the two-hundred mark! A special shout out to _SUZYQ _for helping me pass the threshold. Thank you guys so much, I appreciate the awesome feedback!

Anyway, this chapter was drawn from a lot of musical inspiration, but the songs that really helped me catch the overall tone were:

_Future Starts Slow_, The Kills

_Degausser, _Brand New

_Hurricane_, MS MR

Take a listen if you like. I hope you enjoy the chapter!

xx LCF

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

* * *

_**Storm**_

Chapter 9: Reignited Fixation

* * *

A fever came over Sasuke that night. Sweat dotted his brow as his body fought against the Nibi's fading chakra. Sakura had remained awake, maintaining her end of their arrangement as she watched over him as he tossed and turned while the malicious natural energy ran its course. By noon the following day, his fever had fallen, leaving the shinobi to finally release the tension that had overtaken him.

Sakura gently dabbed away the sweat that had accumulated on his face. She smiled thankfully at Juugo when the older man exchanged the soiled linen for a clean rag. "He should be okay now," she piped up when she caught sight of Juugo's pensive gaze. "Most of the Nibi's chakra is gone. We'll just have to wait a few more hours before I go ahead and finish healing him properly."

"He's isn't the only one I worry about, Sakura-san." Juugo said quietly as his orange eyes met hers and took in her bedraggled appearance. "You haven't had a chance to look after yourself since coming back."

It was true; though she had healed herself by the time she and Sasuke returned to the grotto, the dirt and blood that were caked on had dried before the heat of the fire, the patches began flaking from where they still clung on her pale skin. Her clothes had also seen better days; her netted abdomen still exposed after her dark shirt had been sliced open from Sasuke's attack, and she didn't even want to begin to imagine the bird's nest her hair surely resembled.

The kunoichi let out a defeated sigh as she nodded in complacency. "You're right." She stretched languidly before standing. "I'm gonna go and wash all this grime off, in the meantime please keep an eye on him."

The large man nodded, and with that, Sakura walked over to her pack and took her leave.

* * *

The water of the nearby creek was freezing, but Sakura made her way into the water regardless. It wasn't very deep, only barely reaching her navel, however, the strength of the current was more than enough to make up for it.

She took her time washing, meticulously scrubbing away at the blood and dirt until her skin was tender and pink beneath her fingertips. Positive that all traces of blood were completely removed, Sakura did a quick sweep of the surrounding foliage with her chakra before she ducked beneath the water and removed the last of her garments. After giving them a quick rinse, her mesh top and shorts landed on the bank with a wet _plop _as she haphazardly laid them down to dry on top of a boulder beneath the midday sun.

Taking a deep breath, Sakura dove underwater once more, working her fingers through her knotted hair and scalp in a meager attempt to wash out the accumulated dirt and oil. Her scalp was tender by the end of it, but Sakura didn't mind. There was a time during her self-imposed banishment where she did that often, almost enjoying the raw tenderness she inflicted on herself. It told her that the void of loneliness and sadness she felt weren't the only things she was capable of feeling. It had been a dark time for her, one that could have literally and figuratively drowned her had it not been for the memory of her loved ones and how disappointed they'd be if she let the situation get the best of her. She was a strong kunoichi, one trained by a Kage at that. Her skills were nothing to scoff at, and she was the best medic in Fire Country following Tsunade-sama and Shizune. She was not weak and had not been in a very long time. There was no way that she would've allowed herself to give in to the depression she fell into during the first eighteen months of her exile.

Breaking the surface, Sakura wiped the water from her eyes as she stood to full height and released the smooth stone she'd picked up. She was not pleased to find Suigetsu's disfigured head from where he stood on the bank of the creek.

"You know, that _actually hurt._" He griped as the stone clattered on the bedrock and skipped back into the water.

"Serves you right for peeping." She growled as she ducked underwater.

"If I wanted to peep don't you think I'd be _in_ the water instead of on the shore?" He retorted as his head finally rearranged itself. Purple eyes settled on her and his frown quickly gave way to a lewd grin. "Besides, it's not exactly peeping if you're the one putting on the free show."

Scowling at the state of her appearance, Sakura crossed her arms over her chest tightly and sunk further. She glared at him from just over the top of the water's surface, her anger growing when he threw back his head and let loose a howl of laughter.

"Grow up, Suigetsu." She snapped.

For his part the Mist-nin tried to smother his sniggers, only to fail miserably. They eventually died down to chuckles before he could get another word in. "I am grown, Kitten... and so are you from the looks of things."

"Suigetsu," She warned.

"Alright, alright. We'll drop the subject of your nudity issues for the moment. Honestly though, I just happened to run into you. I came to see what the disturbance was when I wasn't able to catch any fish for lunch."

Sakura frowned. "Well, it was me. You can leave now."

"Okay, okay." He placated. "But really, you shouldn't be embarrassed; you've got a rather nice pair of—"

"Leave!" Sakura's yell was punctuated with a large rock she hurled his way.

The Mist-nin made a hasty retreat at that point and narrowly managed to avoid the flying projectile as it hurtled past him and snapped a nearby tree in half. Satisfied with the quick pace in which he left with, Sakura allowed herself a few more minutes to wrap up her pseudo bath. It wasn't until Suigetsu was long gone, and she was ready to leave the creek, that Sakura finally noticed that her clothes and pack were missing from the bank.

Everything but a clean roll of chest bindings and a clean pair of the tiny black shorts she liked to wear under her pants.

"SUIGETSU!"

She swore she could hear him sniggering all the way back to camp.

* * *

A thunderous bang brought Sasuke back to the world of the living.

Dark eyes opened slowly, their blurred vision cleared rapidly as he slowly blinked away the remnants of sleep. Despite having just woken up, his limbs felt heavy with fatigue, and he found that the searing pain in his side hadn't completely disappeared.

Juugo noticed his state first as he was seated off to his side; the clay pestle ceasing its movement on the mortar that held a familiar green paste. Another loud bang resonated from the cave, and Sasuke pulled his gaze from Juugo's occupied hands to see Sakura hurling a chakra-laden fist at Suigetsu's face. The man in question avoided her onslaught easily enough, but the palpable anger she radiated spurred her to move at a much quicker pace than he would able to keep up with for very long.

"Why is she angry?" he asked, his voice raspy due to his dry throat.

Suigetsu, whose hearing surpassed his own, caught his eye and sent him a toothy grin from where he stood on the edge of the grotto's entrance. "Kitten's just mad because she flashed me." He narrowly avoided yet another punch to the face. "Nice to see you're awake, Princess."

Ignoring the jibe, Sasuke looked to Juugo for confirmation. The older male merely nodded his head tiredly. "Suigetsu happened to come across Sakura-san as she was bathing."

"More like _peeping_." The kunoichi snarled as she tried to get in one last hit before she dropped her fists. "Don't think that this is over." She glowered before she turned away and walked over to where he laid.

"How many times do I have to say that I wasn't peeping?! I was only checking out the disturbance in the water that kept me from properly fishing!" Suigetsu cried indignantly.

Sakura rolled her eyes as she reached Sasuke. "That may have been the case, but there was no reason for you to take my clothes!" Sakura ignored Suigetsu's snickering as she knelt by his side, her chakra flared in her hands before she gently probed it into his system.

Sasuke remained silent, but the look he gave Suigetsu let the pale-haired male know that he was less-than pleased with him. Thankfully, it was enough to silence the mischievous nin. Sasuke wasn't feeling quite up to putting him in his place.

"Well," Sakura began, successfully drawing Sasuke's attention away from the shameless shinobi. "The Nibi's chakra is all but gone; there are faint traces left but I can continue healing if you're up for it."

"Aa." He acquiesced, and her chakra sprung to life once more.

Shortly after she began, Juugo left Sakura to continue her healing as he walked out in search for a suitable meal, a grudging Suigetsu in tow. Silence settled over them—the air still except for Sakura's fluctuating chakra from her methodical healing. She was taking her time in healing him, making sure not to agitate the foreign entity despite its weakening energy. Vague memories of a searing fire from the foreign chakra as it swirled and snapped at her healing one were still fresh on his mind, and though Sasuke had an exceptionally high tolerance to pain, it was not an experience he wanted to revisit any time soon.

"How long have I been asleep?" He spoke up. His voice startled her, causing her signature to spike for a brief instant before it settled. The foreign chakra rolled within him, displeased, but no more painful than a prick on the finger compared to the stabbing heat he experienced hours ago. Sakura met his gaze.

"You lost consciousness once I started healing you, then you were out for the whole day since the majority of the Nibi's chakra was still making its way out of your system. After the brunt of it was over, you slept for the remainder of the night and morning."

"Your injuries have been seen to." Sasuke pointed out at the sight of her straightened posture.

Sakura nodded as she sent one final wave of chakra through his system. "Yeah, I finished patching myself up after I rested for a bit." Her fingers quickly ran over his ribs to check for further injuries in a clinical, no-nonsense fashion.

"You're all set; I would recommend resting for a little while longer since you're fatigued and your body needs to recuperate a little more. We can head out at sunset if you're feeling up for it, otherwise we should camp out for one more night."

Sasuke grunted in reply as he slowly tried to ease himself into an upright position. Sakura was at his side to assist immediately, one hand slowly guiding his back into alignment as it rested at the base of his spine, the other sat gently on his chest as he pulled himself up. True to her diagnosis, Sasuke was exhausted and barely able to lift himself. Sakura helped ease him to a sitting position, completely submerged in her role as caretaker before giving him his space when he went to seat himself against the wall.

"Are you feeling okay? You didn't strain yourself, did you?" she asked.

The sharp look he sent her was enough for her to raise her hands in a placating manner. "I know you're capable, but it's my job to make sure you stay alive, remember? I need to know if you get dizzy or overly tired as it might attest to a more serious issue I hadn't caught."

"And what is the possibility of that with your skill level?" he retorted.

A wry smile settled on her face then, one that radiated an unwavering confidence in her abilities that he'd never seen before—the first one she bore at all since joining his ranks, Sasuke realized.

"Slim to none." The smile was short lived, and fell from her lips as she looked to him again with the same degree of seriousness she usually addressed him with. "But that doesn't mean that we should be lax. In case you haven't noticed, I've been out of commission for quite some time."

"I doubt it's enough to hinder you, considering the number of jutsu you've used. It's your chakra, not a musical instrument. You can only get rusty if you don't use it. In order for nukenin to survive and evade capture that isn't an option. ANBU would have your head in an instant."

Green eyes widened fractionally at his words, and before Sasuke could even begin to guess what exactly was going on in that head of hers, she jumped to her feet and walked over to her pack. "You just reminded me, I really wanted to talk to you about my findings on the autopsy, but with Karin getting kidnapped, and you getting injured by the Nibi, I haven't really had the best chance to bring it up." She pulled out a slim scroll from its depths and made her way back over.

The kunoichi took a seat beside him before biting her thumb hard enough to draw blood and smearing the red liquid across the seam of the scroll. The brush strokes of the intricate seal dispersed like an untangled knot before Sakura pulled it open. She weaved a set of seals, and with a tiny puff of smoke, a glass vial materialized before them.

"This is what I found in the Root's stomach. It's partially dissolved but not enough that I can't identify it." He caught the glass tube she tossed at him with agile fingers. Bringing it up to eye level, he shook its contents. The pieces of what appeared to be partially digested black mushrooms rattled within the corked vial. He raised a dark brow in her direction.

"This is _agaricus bisporus_, or more commonly known as the black Button mushroom. It's well-known for its abundance of vitamins and minerals, namely vitamin B and potassium. At first glance it seems like your regular run-of-the-mill mushroom, but there's something different about this one. The black variety is exclusive to Waterfall as they only grow on the sulfur rocks native to the region, and last time I checked, they don't harvest or deal in trades. Seeing as we're maybe a two day's run from Waterfall and it's been two days since our run-in with him—we're looking at about a week from the time he consumed the mushrooms to when he found us. I'm thinking that heading east is our best bet. If anything we might stumble across more Root agents or a camp which might lead us closer to Danzou."

Dark eyes were drawn back to the partially-digested fungi, a wave of dark excitement stirring within him. Taka would depart to Waterfall as soon as Juugo and Suigetsu returned, and he'd be just that much closer to gaining justice for the slaughter of his family.

He was almost there, the first part of his goal hung just a hair's breadth away, and nothing could stop him now. Sasuke's lips twisted into an unpleasant smirk.

He didn't notice Sakura's easy grin fall at its appearance.

* * *

For the umpteenth time that night, Suigetsu wished that would Sasuke let them take a breather. It was well into the night as they made their way through what was formerly known as Sound.

The moment he and Juugo had returned from their hunt, the Uchiha had declared that they were going to immediately head for Waterfall. Twelve hours later and they were long gone from the northern border of Fire, instead heading east towards the grasslands the west was known for.

The group traveled in relative silence, which typically wasn't strange, except now that it included Sakura. Usually the kunoichi chatted away with Juugo, either to gripe about the weather, coo over his irritating pets, or ask about how he was holding up. This time however, she'd maintained her distance from all of them, preferring to travel a few meters off to the side of the group. Sasuke hadn't been pleased when she branched off, but had said nothing. And Juugo… well Juugo hardly ever talked anyway, seeing as he was more the silent observer. Besides, he was pretty good at picking up vibes, and "Leave Me the Hell Alone" vibes were definitely something Sakura was giving off.

In all, Suigetsu was tired, bored, and quite fed up with the whole situation.

Taking hold of his throat cleaver, the ex-Mist let loose the blade. Both Sasuke and Juugo successfully avoided it, but it was Sakura that was able to stop its rampage, easily avoiding the rotating edge before she took hold of the hilt with perfect timing. Considering how small she was, she allowed herself to be carried with its momentum and pivoted her foot, swinging neatly in a semi-circle so as to face them. Seeing the large blade in the hands of a very dainty looking female would normally be seen as comical, and it was, but despite her petite stature, Sakura easily hefted his sword with a poise he could only dream of. "Nice catch," he grinned. She arched a slim brow.

"What's the meaning of this?" Sasuke interrupted, looking none too pleased with his stunt. Suigetsu merely shrugged.

"I just needed a break. We've been at this for twelve hours and we're just off the border of Grass. We should camp out before heading into ground zero. I don't fancy running into Zetsu clones or Alliance scouts, especially considering how tired I am. I'd be deadweight for you guys if we get attacked." Sakura chose that moment to try and stifle a yawn as she set the throat cleaver down, opening a window of opportunity for Suigetsu. He gestured towards her. "See? I'm not the only one. Kitten's probably tired seeing as she went off with you to fight some undead jinchuuriki, healed you, healed herself, _and_ stayed up all night taking care of your fever."

Sasuke remained silent as his eyes flew to the kunoichi who was glaring at him something fierce. Suigetsu rolled his eyes. Please; she was exhausted and anyone with a working pair of eyes could tell. If Suigetsu considered himself to be deadweight, Sakura would ten times worse. Besides, all that destructive power and healing talent had its limits, one she'd reached once she used up her limited reserves.

"I'm fine," she grumbled. "I can keep up for a few more hours if you want to keep going."

Normally Suigetsu would have complained, loudly, for her insistence, but he caught the fleeting glance Sasuke and Sakura briefly shared. Sasuke's eyes had been glued to her since he'd pointed out her fatigue, whereas Sakura had been making a point to look anywhere but him, which Suigetsu thought strange. She'd been attentive enough the night before. In fact, she had remained attentive once Sasuke had woken up. It wasn't until after he and Juugo had come back from hunting that there'd been a noticeable change. She was keeping to herself, and though he knew Sasuke noticed, the leader of their group had been so wrapped up in his own thoughts, in his desire to get closer to this lead, that he barely paid her any mind. At least, that was the case before he had singled her out.

Now Sasuke couldn't keep his eyes off her. Suigetsu caught the quick scan he did, positive that the Uchiha had zeroed-in on the bags beneath her eyes and the meager, but steady, thrum of her chakra. His brows pulled together slightly, signaling to the white-haired shinobi of his slight disconcert. Suigetsu could practically see the wheels turning in his head as he took into account just all of what he's put her through in the past twenty-four hours.

"We'll stop for the night." Sasuke conceded, causing Sakura to huff in annoyance and shoot a glare in his direction.

"Fine," she grumbled. "But if we're stopping it's because Suigetsu's the one that's tired but doesn't want to own up to it."

"Pot meet kettle." He replied with a smirk. The kunoichi rolled her eyes and stomped off to where Juugo had begun to set up camp. Sasuke's eyes trailed after her for a moment before following suit, unaware of Suigetsu's own scrutinizing gaze.

_Interesting,_ Suigetsu mused before bringing up the rear. _Very interesting._

* * *

A little shorter than usual, but necessary. I'm glad to say that this will be the first of upcoming chapters that will wrap-up the search for Danzou.

I hope you enjoyed, so please feel free to leave a review!

xx LCF


	11. Clash of Wills

**A/N: **Hey guys, long time no see. Sorry for the extreme delay in updating, this winter was super harsh, especially up north in Illinois. I can't even begin to imagine how extreme the weather got in Minnesota. Anyway, here's to summertime!

Again, a profound 'thank you' to everyone who favorited/reviewed _Storm_ so far. It's those little (awesome) things that keep me going.

xx LCF

* * *

_**Storm**_

Chapter 10: Clash of Wills

* * *

"_Uchiha Sasuke and his team have been seen passing through the border of Grass and traveling west several hours ago. No sign of Madara or distinct affiliation with Akatsuki noted._" A bland voice broke through the silence of the night, causing the receiver to slow his step minutely as he ran his patrol.

"Copy that. Who is closest to the target?"He replied—voice succinct and bearing the same monotone that was common with Root operatives. Expressionless eyes lay hidden beneath the pale porcelain mask that hid the shinobi's features. He returned his pace to normal as his partner approximated their location.

"_They're due southeast of you by thirty kilometers. If you come across him, kill on sight but return the body to headquarters. Leave no survivors._"

"Understood." He veered away from his designated path.

His earpiece went dead.

* * *

Sakura started awake when she felt the weight of someone's hand fall over her mouth.

She was prepared to throw off her assailant when she opened her eyes and looked up to find Juugo hovering over her sleeping bag. The giant quietly settled a finger over his lips, urging her to keep quiet as he quickly looked over his shoulder. He gently helped her up from her position on the forest floor and set her on her feet. Once upright, Sakura was able to make out Sasuke and Suigetsu's dark silhouettes off in the distance. Both appeared to be inspecting the parameters Sasuke had placed upon their arrival.

Something—or _someone_—set off one of the trip wires or chakra sensors and alerted them to an intruder.

_Ambush?_ She mouthed to Juugo for confirmation. He didn't bother to reply before returning his eyes back towards the forest.

There was a quiet rustle from a bush nearby, causing the men to tense as they awaited whatever laid there to reveal itself. Sakura held her breath as her hand flew into her pouch and took hold of a shuriken inside.

A squirrel jumped out from the foliage (causing Suigetsu to lower his throat cleaver and release a few choice curse words), running straight for Juugo as he reached down and extended his arm out to the small creature. The rodent ran up his arm, chattering loudly as it perched itself on his shoulder. If it were any other circumstance, Sakura might have thought the sight to be cute; but judging by the serious looks on everyone's faces, she figured cooing over a small forest animal would be frowned upon in this instance.

Juugo turned to address them. "A masked man was seen investigating the area; he was close to camp when he set off the chakra sensor whereupon he fled."

"Sounds like ANBU to me," Suigetsu drawled, his violet eyes sliding over to Sasuke. "It could be Root. I wouldn't be surprised to know they extended their patrol out this far given that Waterfall is only half a day's run from here."

Sasuke eye's narrowed before immediately flashing red. He drew Kusanagi from its sheath. "Suigetsu, you'll join me in pursuit. Sakura, Juugo; the two of you will clear the area before joining us." He turned to address Suigetsu. "We capture him alive. He shouldn't be hard to find, the sensor was set off five minutes ago."

Suigetsu nodded sharply before he made his way out into the forest.

Sasuke was close to follow, but hung back at the last second. He looked over his shoulder to meet Sakura's eyes. "Change it red. We will be interrogating upon his capture and don't need him recognizing you."

"I don't see how that could help." Sakura replied, a bit confused as to why the sudden need for her to use a henge right this moment had arisen.

"Do it, and ready yourself to begin healing." He ordered before running after Suigetsu.

Sakura stayed rooted to the spot, staring into the part of the forest where he'd disappeared to. Though she didn't like him bossing her around, she figured that it was the best course of action. While nobody had come in close contact with the entirety of Taka, Sakura was sure that the Allied Forces at least had a record of each of its members. Posing as Karin would only throw the scent off herself. She turned around to find Juugo burying the fire pit and made her way back to the campsite. Together they were finished in just moments.

As Juugo and she followed Sasuke's path, Sakura couldn't help but notice that a lot of the wildlife was running away from where they were headed. A small bird flew by, which Juugo caught easily. It struggled in his grasp for a moment, chirping relentlessly until he released it.

"What did it say?" Sakura asked.

Juugo frowned. "It's saying that they're fighting animals."

"Animals?" Sakura frowned. "A summons, perhaps?"

"No," Juugo replied. "They don't know what it is. But they're saying that there are many, and they explode when Sasuke and Suigetsu land an attack."

Sakura came to a halt on the following branch, Juugo landed beside her not a moment later. Together the pair looked to the scene of a definite skirmish. Blade marks marred the trunks of the trees, and several branches were broken and cracked. Dark splotches were everywhere, and had the all-too familiar coppery scent of blood permeated the air. Though it seemed a bit off. She jumped down onto the forest floor, cautiously reaching out to dip her finger on the liquid that coated a patch of grass.

Definitely not blood; the substance was too runny, almost like oil. It also gave off a barely traceable scent—one that she was familiar with.

Ink.

Sakura's heart immediately jumped to her throat, and she could feel her heart beating relentlessly in her ears. _Could it be?_ She briefly wondered, before she quickly set off without bothering to wait for Juugo. Ignoring the older man's cries of confusion, the kunoichi followed the random spatters of the dark liquid and the broken branches. If her guess was right, she'd need to intersect Sasuke before he came across him.

She had to reach them before they killed each other.

* * *

It hadn't taken Sasuke and Suigetsu long to catch up to whoever set off the sensor. In fact, they made contact with the masked nin just minutes into the pursuit and it didn't take Sasuke long to realize that Suigetsu's deduction had been right. A wave of excitement had washed over him at the sight of the ANBU mask the Root wore. He was so close; so close to revenge he could _taste _it. All he needed now was to get his hands on him. All he needed was to get him to talk, one way or another, and get to Danzou.

It was the only thing that mattered.

Suigetsu jumped ahead of Sasuke, heaving his throat cleaver and barely missing the shinobi by a hair's breadth. The force of his swing caused the pale-haired man to slide off to the side, leaving Sasuke a window of opportunity. Hands flew through familiar seals as he took a deep breath. Pumping chakra through his lungs, Sasuke unleashed the fiery jutsu his family had been known for.

The masked male jumped onto a higher oncoming branch, pushing off as he did so and launching himself further into the air. The scroll in his hand unfurled and he quickly pulled a brush from his vest and scrawled on it. A large bird suddenly emerged from the scroll, but instead of attacking Sasuke or Suigetsu, the shinobi merely leapt onto its back before gaining altitude.

_No you don't._ Sasuke thought viciously, chakra violently surging to his eyes. His right eye snapped shut as he concentrated his left with all his effort. He felt the familiar ribbon of blood make its way down his cheek as he brought forth Amaterasu. Instantly, the ink bird disintegrated, causing the rider to plummet back to earth.

Sasuke surged forward, both eyes open and Kusanagi drawn. Chakra coursed through his legs as his body flickered forward, easily closing the distance between them. The other shinobi must have sensed him, as he drew a tantō from his pouch and effectively parried his strike.

Both men leapt back, metal shrieking against metal as they drew away. Sasuke took a moment to observe him, knowing that he'd be unable to see his face but was also unable to shake the strange sense of familiarity that his jutsu and fighting style evoked.

"It's been a long time, Sasuke-kun." Came the muted voice from behind the mask. The Root affiliate widened his stance, weapon at the ready. "I don't suspect you'd remember me. After all, our only encounter was more than three years ago."

Sasuke remained silent as he regarded him, unable to keep his words from making him think. When in the past four years had he come across a Root operative? During his time with Orochimaru? Before? He couldn't recall, but it didn't matter. He had him now, and there was no way he was leaving without divulging Danzou's whereabouts.

"Hn." Was Sasuke's only reply as he surged forward, chokutō slicing through the air with ease. The masked shinobi leapt back in time to avoid the strike, making sure to keep his blade drawn and ready to use. So far he'd only used it to parry Kusanagi, further proving to Sasuke the fact that they had in fact crossed paths before. He knew how to avoid most of his strikes—knew when to parry and when to retreat, and when to change tactics and go on the offensive. Sasuke charged his blade with electricity, easily disintegrating the giant ink tiger that had come for his head and rendering to nothing more than a puddle of ink. More animals had been drawn, but Suigetsu had taken care to get rid of them so that he'd be able to focus solely on the shinobi in front of him.

He flickered forward again, and managed to land a clean hit on the shinobi. But instead of blood, ink poured out, and it soon the ink clone disintegrated before him. Sasuke turned on his heel, his Sharingan searching for sign of him.

"Shit!" came Suigetsu's sudden cry, before he made a strangled sound and fell to the floor. His fall revealed the masked shinobi that stood behind him, the tantō he'd used to incapacitate the white-haired male still in his hand and drenched in blood and something else. More ink. Sasuke charged forward with every intention of ending the battle right then and there.

Suddenly there was a rustling in the brush near then, and out came Sakura in her henge, eyes wide as she looked between the two of them.

"Sasuke stop!" Sakura yelled, causing the masked Root to falter slightly for a fraction of a second.

It was all the opening Sasuke needed.

He thrust his lightning-covered blade forward, slicing through the tantō which the masked nin sloppily attempted to parry with. The tip of his sword easily pierced the armor, and Sasuke's chokutō drove into his shoulder deeply; the electric current it was charged with was enough to numb his nerves and render his arm useless. It fell in dead weight as Sasuke withdrew his sword, preparing to deal a secondary blow when his attack was impeded by a sudden wall of solid rock that shot up before him.

His charged Kusanagi burst through the rock, but the power behind his strike was spent in dealing with the thick stone and lost most of its driving force.

Furious red eyes snapped up, but his anger gave way to momentary surprise when he caught sight of Sakura with her hands still slammed on the ground from where she released the jutsu.

_She has an earth affinity?_

As Sasuke continued to stare after her in silent anger, the kunoichi stood and immediately made over to the fallen shinobi. Her steps were soft and hesitant, and the anger already stirring within Sasuke flared at the sight. The Root agent did not move; his masked face was glued to Sakura's approaching form. Sasuke's grip on his chokutō tightened, ready to buffer any attack should Sakura be too stupid to realize just how foolish she was being.

The irritating woman stopped before the prone figure, dropping to her knees unexpectedly in a show of emotion. Her chakra was spiking off the charts, signaling the inner turmoil she didn't attempt to hide. She raised a shaky hand to the bone-white mask, her fingertips brushed against the polished surface before they grasped the edge of its chin. With one swift tug, she pulled off the clay mask and the dark hood to reveal a familiar pale face.

"It is you," she breathed. "_Sai._"

* * *

The tears that had threatened to choke her up before definitely surfaced now, and she couldn't be bothered to try and hide it. Sakura immediately brought her stunned teammate in a bone-crushing hug, her body wracked with sobs as she clung to him with every ounce of strength she possessed. Sai for his part had remained frozen for several seconds before he, too, much to her pleasant surprise, wrapped his good arm around her awkwardly and returned her embrace. They remained that way for several moments.

"Sakura?" he asked, as though he couldn't quite believe she was there in front of him. She nodded through her tears. "Where have you been all this time?"

Sakura fought back the wave of relief and sadness that simultaneously washed over her. "I'm sorry, Sai. I'm _so sorry_."

"I know, Sakura. We all knew that something wasn't right; that Dan—" Sai suddenly cut himself off as a fierce tremor ran through him.

"Is it the seal?" Sakura asked, her chakra already sweeping through his system as she tried to find any signs of paralysis. There were none.

Sai merely nodded, taking a deep breath. "It's still in effect and he's done several changes since his inauguration. I'm no longer able to speak his name freely. In fact, there's not much of anything I can say; all I know is that..." He trailed off as his eyes rested warily on Sasuke who lingered just out of earshot.

"It's okay, I understand." Sakura replied before giving him a watery smile. "It's just so good to see you."

"Everyone's missed you." Sai said. "Naruto and Ino-san especially."

The mention of her friends stirred something in her she'd tried long and hard to bury, but in the presence of her comrade she couldn't swallow the lump easily. "How is everyone? How's Naruto?"

A dark shadow passed over Sai's face then, and he looked over her shoulder to where Sasuke stood. But before he could get anything out, Sasuke walked over and grabbed Sakura's upper arm before he hauled her away from him.

"Let me go!" she frowned. "Sasuke, let me go!"

She managed to wrench free of his hold just in time to see Sai's body crumple to the ground. Behind him stood a weary Suigetsu that leaned heavily on his throat cleaver, looking haggard.

"That's what you get for trying to poison me. Asshole."

* * *

Sakura tended to Suigetsu's injury with a cold professionalism she hadn't had to use in a long time. The former Mist-nin easily picked up on the fact that she was angry at him. She was sure he was aware it was for 'knocking out the shinobi' as he'd put it.

"C'mon Kitten, you can't be _that_ upset. You know it's what we had to do." Suigetsu supplicated seeing as she'd refused to use chakra to heal his injury.

"Can't be upset? Are you kidding me, Suigetsu?" she snipped, wrapping the bandage around his thigh tighter than need be. Suigetsu winced at the pressure. He opened his mouth to complain, but was cut off when Sasuke's sharp tone filled the air.

"Enough. Sakura, heal him and we'll continue what we set out to do."

The kunoichi rolled her eyes as she tied the bandage off, ignoring Suigetsu's indignant yelp, and picked up the soiled dressings and bowl full of murky black water. She walked away from both men, needing to get away from them and dump out the water. She should have known she wouldn't be lucky enough to get away with it, and was unsurprised to find Sasuke making his way over to her.

She crouched on the ground, circulating chakra through her fist as she gently pressed down with her knuckles. A semi-deep hole opened up and she quickly spilled the contents from the bowl inside. Sasuke's shadow fell over her just as she began patting dirt over it. Once it was sufficiently covered, she stood and faced him. Sasuke stood before her, arms crossed over his chest as he scrutinized her.

"You're angry." He deadpanned.

"Obviously," she replied, as she tried to push past him. He wouldn't let her.

Sasuke frowned. "You are aware that it's foolish to be. You knew what the plan was when we set out."

"Actually, no, I didn't." Sakura fired back. "I knew that we were in pursuit of Danzou, I knew that we were heading to Waterfall. What I didn't know was that you planned on kidnapping someone from Root—someone who coincidentally happens to be my friend, by the way—and using them as a way to get inside!"

She pressed on before Sasuke could get a word in. "Why can't we just let him go? Use your Sharingan on him; make him forget he saw us. We can find someone else."

"We can't let him go," Sasuke bit back scathingly. "If we release him, and he finds out what happened, what we're planning, he'll head straight for Danzou before we get to him, and all this would have been for nothing. We have to strike now if we want to permanently dispose of him."

"You mean because _you_ want to dispose of him."

Sasuke glowered at her. "I was under the impression that you wanted to get rid of him just as much."

"No," Sakura denied. "That's what _you_ thought. The only thing I want is to go home. I know that can be a bit of a foreign concept to you, but not everyone enjoys being forced to stay away from their loved ones."

"Sakura, don't be stupid." Sasuke glowered.

"I'm done talking to you." She bit back before she gathered her things and walked back to camp and took a seat besides Sai's resting form.

She was so angry. Angry at Sasuke, angry at their predicament, angry at the circumstances that brought her here. She didn't wonder for the first time since joining his team if jumping off that cliff three years ago was the best choice she could have made. But as angry as she was, she knew it was. If she'd let Danzou capture her, who knows where she would be now? Sakura frowned. No. She'd made the right choice in doing what she did. Still, it didn't mean that she had to be happy with how things were going for her at that moment.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Sai began to stir beside her. Dark eyes opened slowly, as if dazed, before clarity returned to them. Sakura expected a little bit of confusion in there, and there was some when he caught sight of her. She realized a little belatedly that she'd kept the red hair throughout their entire reunion.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, hands already flaring with chakra as she held them over his chest.

"Sore." He grimaced. "You healed me, didn't you?"

Sakura nodded. "It's the least I could do." There was a moment of silence between them as she continued running her scans. "I'm surprised you trust me enough to do this."

Sai looked to her, slightly confused. "Sakura, we might not have seen each other for the past three years, but you're still you. You're still one of the few people I'd trust with my life."

"I don't deserve it." She smiled sadly. "Not with everything that's happened."

Her dark-haired teammate shook his head. "It wasn't your fault. We know it's not."

The pair remained silent for another moment. It seemed to become a recurring theme between them.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" Sai stated as he looked towards the fire and back to her.

Sakura had the decency to look somewhat ashamed, but did not deny nor confirm his thoughts. She took a seat beside the restrained shinobi, placing a comforting hand on his arm. "It's not that I want to, Sai. You have to believe me when I say that going back is the thing I want most in this world."

She was surprised to find a clear frown marring Sai's features. "Then why have you joined forces with Sasuke? You're not stupid. You know that working alongside a traitor will do nothing but damage your chances of returning. Once Danzou catches wind that you're still alive, and that you're working alongside Uchiha Sasuke, he won't hesitate on reinstating the bounty on your head, war or no."

Unable to bear the sight of him, she focused her gaze on her lap. Sai seemed to take this as an opportunity to go on.

"We miss you, Sakura. Don't endanger your chances of coming home because of him."

Sakura shook her head. "I don't know if this is Danzou's seal talking or not, but it's not that simple and you know it. Tell me; have any of you seen or heard from Tsunade-sama this entire time? Has anyone tried to dig up anything at all, or did you just sit by complacently while he carted off her comatose body to some unknown location that only he and those of his inner ring are privy to?"

Her voice had escalated during her rant in her growing ire and gathered the attention of her travel companions. Sakura ignored all of them, including Sasuke's intense gaze as it bore into her back in favor of facing Sai head-on.

"Damn it, Sai. I won't apologize for what I have to do, and I can't explain myself further to you for obvious reasons. It's not that I don't trust you, but with the seal I can't trust that you'll do nothing." Chakra flared in her fingertips, bringing Sai's attention to the hand that rested on his arm.

"Sakura—" Sai was cut off, dark eyes flying wide as she pumped her numbing chakra through him and shut off every nerve in his body. He would have fallen flat on his back had it not been for her gently taking him in her arms and laying him down on the ground. His limbs were slack beneath her touch.

"I'm sorry, Sai." She whispered. A single green-glowing hand settled upon his forehead, closing his eyes in the process as she gently urged him to sleep. Sakura pumped more chakra into his system, simultaneously sweeping it for any injuries she might be able to heal and to make sure that he would be able to regain complete mobility once her jutsu wore off.

Silently she stood, not meeting anyone's eyes. "He should be out for the next three hours." Sakura promptly turned on her heel and stormed off into the forest.

* * *

Sakura found herself a good ways away from the campsite, going through her katas in a meager attempt to get rid of her anger. It wasn't working. Still, it was enough to keep her somewhat focused, and with that came the sweet bliss of not having to have her mind completely consumed by just how messed up her life had become. Sakura should have known that it wouldn't last given her track record.

She felt more than she saw Sasuke's arrival. _I just can't catch a break today, can I?_

"I'm in no mood to talk." She snipped before turning on her heel and completing the next set of steps.

"Neither am I." He replied before stepping out of the shadows, he crossed his arms over his chest and reclined on a nearby tree. His eyes, sharp as always, were scrutinizing her form.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Then why bother coming out here?"

He didn't leave her alone, but thankfully did remain quiet. Sakura finished her kata with ease, and went to strap her medic pouch back on when his voice rang out.

"You storm off when you're upset and leave yourself vulnerable to attacks."

"I can handle myself." She bit back.

"Just like you did when Juugo and Suigetsu found you?" Sasuke challenged.

"You did what you had to do to survive. No one can begrudge you of that."

_Unbelievable._

Sakura let out a mirthless laugh, and somewhere deep inside her, a dam broke and all she'd suppressed for the past few years began to rush forward with unstoppable force. "It's so easy for you to say that. You walked away from us like we were nothing. I didn't leave out of desire; I left because the alternative would have been imprisonment or sure death." Sakura waved around to the forest around them. "And look where that's brought me! I'm working alongside an internationally wanted criminal, I'm plotting to kill the Hokage, though unwanted he may be; and I'm living my life skulking in the shadows as opposed to being out on the battlefield alongside my comrades."

"I went and knocked out Sai! I betrayed his trust in order to meet my own selfish goals—in order to _keep my promise_." Sakura took in an agonizing breath; her entire frame trembled in despair and anger. A choked sob burst from her throat quickly followed by anger and shame.

Of all the people in the world to see her right now, it had to be Sasuke_._ It had to be the one person who would forever think her weak for allowing her feelings to get the better of her. She could imagine it now, the sharp tone of disapproval, the unmoved stare as he waited for her to gather her wits.

"You're a fool," Sasuke began, causing Sakura to physically recoil as though struck; this did nothing to deter him. "If you can't deal with the pressures of being a nukenin then you don't belong. You've never belonged, Sakura."

Sakura looked up in shock. Despite what she liked to think, his words still hurt every bit as much as they did when they were younger, and for a moment Sakura was briefly transported back in time; back to when she was a twelve-year-old girl without a single care in the world save for gaining the attention of the boy of her dreams. Anger welled up at the memories, of the times when she would go home with disappointment settled in the pit of her stomach and all-too familiar moisture clouding her vision—for all the times he had made her feel so insignificant for loving the things she had cherished and believed in.

And now, all these years later, Sakura still found herself on the bitter end of his dismissal. She had grown so much as a shinobi—come so far from that shallow, weak little girl she used to be; but even now, he saw her as nothing.

She moved before she could stop herself.

Sasuke evaded her punch easily, his head ducked to the side as her fist sailed harmlessly past his head. He didn't seem surprised by her outburst, instead he pushed her further. Sakura watched as he pulled his sheathed blade from his hip, letting it fall to the ground with a quiet thud. Unarmed, Sasuke widened his stance as he waited for her next move.

She charged forward, chakra thrumming through her arms as she punched wildly at him. He successfully dodged each and every one of her attacks. She nearly caught him as she drove her knee up and towards his abdomen, but he'd blocked it before it could land before he quickly reversed his grip. His hand hooked beneath her knee and pulled her further towards him as he swept her other foot off balance. Sakura took hold of the front of his zippered shirt as she fell, raising her free leg up to his stomach and using the fall to her advantage. She rocked back, dragging him with her, and fiercely kicked him, launching him overhead and sent him into the forest.

Sasuke managed to land on his feet, and quickly pushed off the trunk of the tree he'd landed on and back into their pseudo ring. He charged her this time, giving her no opening to get in an offensive attack. He kept her on the defensive for several minutes, his barrage of attacks never-ending as she fought to keep any of his hits from landing. However she was a second too slow to block one kick, and ended up sprawled on the forest floor. She didn't try to get back up. Seeing that all the fight had left her, Sasuke slowly walked over to her.

Green eyes looked up and froze when she saw his extended hand.

Sakura stared at him momentarily before slowly accepting his hand, allowing him to help her to her feet. Once she was up, he promptly released her, though he made no move to return to camp. It took her a brief moment to realize that he was waiting on her.

They walked back to camp in silence. Sakura, caught in her thoughts, completely overlooked the fact that Sasuke had stopped walking until she was jerked back quite suddenly by a hand that caught her wrist, causing her to stumble back and nearly crash into the unyielding body which it belonged to. She looked up to find Sasuke startlingly close, his dark gaze boring down on her impassively. He still held onto her wrist, his hand surprisingly warm despite his normally icy disposition.

It wasn't lost on her that this was the closest they'd ever stood with one another, the only other time being when he had concealed their presence from the fleet of shinobi that had nearly come across them. But that time had been out of pure necessity, bringing them closer together made it easier for him to seamlessly shift the air around them as his genjutsu took root. There was no reason for the close proximity now, and Sakura couldn't quite help but pick up on that fact. Her heart quickened its pace, fluttering slightly in her chest and she wasn't sure whether to let out a disbelieving laugh or scream and cry.

_This isn't fair_, she thought fiercely. _It's not fair that he can do something like this; something that he knows will confuse me. Surely he has to know what this does to me. He can't be stupid enough to think that I—even after everything._

Sakura opened her mouth, ready to reprimand him and snatch back her wrist, but Sasuke beat her to the punch. Letting her wrist go, he gazed down at Sakura with a brief flash of something that was not complete apathy or rage or obsession.

"Don't sell yourself short."

He walked past her then, pushing past the foliage as he walked back into camp. Sakura could vaguely hear Juugo's and Suigetsu's greetings, thrown as she was from what had just happened. She rubbed her wrist gently, and for a moment she could have sworn that she could feel a small crackle of electricity rush through the appendage. Green eyes followed the path he had taken, barely making out the three figures of the men of Taka as they prepared to leave.

Sakura took a deep breath alone in the darkness, willing her heart to calm its fluttering and regain her composure before she followed suit.

* * *

Taka remained hidden in the shadows for a long time. They stuck to the ground, the canopy of the trees overhead providing them perfect cover as they tailed the inky blotch in the sky as it soared westwards. Team Taka and Sakura all regulated their chakra steadily, making sure to keep from being detected by the recovering Root member. They had tailed him for nearly two hours, all of them had been running at full speed to make up for Sai's airborne advantage.

Despite her reasons, Sakura couldn't help the guilt that gnawed away at her for deceiving Sai. Though it was a necessary evil she still couldn't get past the look of complete and utter surprise at her actions against him.

_What would Naruto think if he saw me now? _She thought bitterly.

"He's gaining altitude." Came Juugo's low voice.

"Aa." Replied Sasuke before he pushed on faster. Within moments he was a good twenty meters ahead of them before disappearing from their sight altogether.

"You'd think he'd be considerate of a few wounded allies." Suigetsu griped as he too pressed forward. Sakura and Juugo kept their pace, following Suigetsu's lead. Before long they managed to escape the confines of the forest and into the awaiting expanse of grasslands. Sai was gone and Sasuke was no bigger than a speck in the distance. From her spot at the top of the hill Sakura could see on the top of a large gorge that bisected the grassy plains like an angry scar.

Before long, the trio came to abrupt halt once they caught up to Sasuke. He stood motionless on the edge of the gorge, his gaze caught to what lay below. As Sakura and the rest of Taka neared, she caught a glimpse of a river that cut down its center—nearly as wide as the gorge itself—and there at its beginning was one of the largest waterfalls Sakura had ever seen. Ships and sailboats alike travelled up and down the current, those going into the village cut through the curtain of water that led straight into Hidden Waterfall.

Sakura tore her gaze from the scene below, chancing a glance at Sasuke who continued to stare at the giant waterfall below. He didn't notice when she took a step beside him, but it seemed as though he was made aware of her scrutiny before he promptly turned about and marched to where the others awaited. Sakura hung back for only a second, her eyes trained on the entrance of the hidden village before she too turned to rejoin the others.

"We find cover and make camp for the night while we rest and gather supplies." Sasuke said. His eyes locked with Sakura's.

"At dawn, we begin."

* * *

**A/N:** There it is! I hope you enjoyed it.

I did take some liberty with the location and terrain for Waterfall. I am not an avid watcher of the anime aside from the episodes that directly derive from the manga, so if there's already been some manifestation of Waterfall know that I have not seen it.

I'm glad to say that I've got a decent enough head-start on the next chapter. I know, I know, I _always_ say that, but please have faith in me!

Please feel free to leave a review, and thank you for reading!

xx LCF


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